The head of the Bekaa Wheat and Grains Farmers’ Union and member of the Potato Growers’ Syndicate, Najib Fares, has made an urgent appeal to Saudi Arabia’s leadership on behalf of Lebanese farmers. Addressing King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Saudi authorities, Fares called for the reopening of Saudi markets to Lebanese agricultural and industrial products, especially Bekaa potatoes, as the harvest season begins.
In a statement issued Monday, Fares also urged the Lebanese government to meet Riyadh’s conditions, particularly those concerning the protection of Saudi sovereignty and efforts to combat smuggling of illegal goods into the Kingdom.
He stressed that farmers, especially potato and vegetable producers, have been suffering significant losses since last year due to the ongoing conflict with Israel and the inability to sell their crops this season, despite a high-quality harvest. Fares highlighted that Lebanese potatoes are ranked among the best in the world.
According to him, the cost of cultivating just one dunum (approximately 1,000 square meters) of potatoes has exceeded $900 this year. The sharp rise is attributed to severe drought, which forced farmers to irrigate early and heavily from artesian wells, as well as increased reliance on expensive organic fertilizers.
Fares emphasized the urgent need to secure new export markets to revive the local agricultural sector, bring in foreign currency, and ensure the survival of Lebanon’s farming industry. He also urged the Agriculture Minister, who recently visited the Bekaa, to relay the farmers’ demands to the government and push for intensified diplomatic efforts with Saudi Arabia to reopen its markets.
Producers warn that, with no outlets for their crops, they are forced to store their potatoes in costly refrigerated warehouses while waiting for a market recovery amid plummeting prices.
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