Foodsectornews.com - Agricultural Damages Worth US$ 280 Million in Lebanon

Agricultural Damages Worth US$ 280 Million in Lebanon

Friday, 15 June 2007

Damages & losses to Lebanon's agriculture, forestry & fisheries sectors due to Israel war are estimated to around US$ 280 Million

as per United Nations' FAO's (Food & Agriculture Organization) latest report.

While some livestock herds, farms, forests & fisheries were directly affected by bombing in southern Lebanon, majority of losses were due to unavailability of fields to farmers during peak harvest periods, the agency said, as farmers abandoned their lands over fears of bombing & transportation of goods to market was also impossible.

FAO also said that majority of agricultural fields & pastures were rendered unusable until the exploded bombs were removed. Total damage to agriculture sector is about US$ 232 Million.

Anne Bauer of FAO said that with loss of animal produce & harvest incomes, farmers are now heavily indebted due to their inability to repay debts between May-October harvest duration, making it almost impossible for them to begin the new crop cycle because of insufficient working capital.

Livestock sector witnessed losses of almost US$ 22 Million. Fisheries sector losses were about US$ 3 Million, mainly due to destruction of equipment & infrastructure in Quazaii port & loss of around 330 boats along with their equipment. Forestry sector accounted for US$ 16 Million in losses as forest fires resulted in huge destruction to forestry during the war.

Agriculture totals for nearly 70% of total income in a Southern Lebanon household, the poorest & worst hit area in the conflict. Around 25% of land is inaccessible in the region due to unexploded supplies that were dropped in the war.

Agency said that it had secured funding to setup recovery center in S. Lebanon to assist heavily indebted farmers who had suffered the loss of their harvest after the war. Moreover, the agency said that additional US$ 17 Million is required for further initiatives like irrigation equipment & providing seeds.

As per a food industry analyst at RNCOS, "Lebanon's agriculture sector has also been hit from damaged roads, which has made it very difficult for farmers to transport their harvest to the market. Moreover, there's no power now and farmers can no longer store their harvest."