'Agricultural sector losses exceed $1 billion,' Hani says during visit to Nabatieh, Sour

Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani said Saturday that losses in Lebanon's agricultural sector exceed $1 billion, with more than 22.5% of agricultural land damaged, or nearly 56,000 hectares, including 52,000 hectares in the governorates of South Lebanon and Nabatieh.

"The Ministry is continuing to implement an integrated plan aimed at rehabilitating the agricultural sector and reviving productive land," Hani said during a tour of southern Lebanon, with stops in Nabatieh, Sour, Jibsheet, Wadi Jilo and Majdal Selm to assess war damage to the sector.

As part of the "Pulse of the Land and Life" initiative to revitalize agriculture in the South, the minister said his Ministry "relies on agricultural centers distributed throughout the regions to serve as the first line of support for farmers," stressing "the need to strengthen their human and technical capacities so they can assist with the recovery and reconstruction phase."

Hani said assessments conducted with the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L) and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that more than 22.5% of Lebanon's agricultural land, or nearly 56,000 hectares, has been damaged, including 52,000 hectares in the governorates of South Lebanon and Nabatieh. According to the updated technical studies, losses and damage to the sector now exceed $1 billion.

He announced a shift from the assessment phase to the implementation of recovery programs, with priority given to returning farmers to their land and resuming production. Projects to be implemented in partnership with "international organizations and friendly countries" include the rehabilitation of 1,500 agricultural greenhouses, 50 agricultural wells equipped with solar panels and modern pumps, and measures to strengthen water resource management.

South Lebanon has faced Israeli occupation of more than 600 square kilometers, the systematic destruction of border villages and daily attacks since the wars of 2024 and 2026 on Lebanon.