Najib Fares, who is the head of the Wheat Farmers’ Syndicate and a member of the Potato Farmers’ Syndicate, pleaded with the Arab Gulf countries to allow Lebanese potato exports again.
Fares directed his message to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia especially, by addressing the Saudi ambassador in Lebanon and Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
In his message, Fares noted that there has been an excess of potato crops in Lebanon this year, however, due to the embargo on Lebanese agricultural crops by Gulf countries, the price of potatoes in Lebanon dropped below the production cost.
Fares stated that Lebanese potato farmers, unfortunately, must pay most of their production bills in “fresh dollars”. For example, diesel fuel, fertilizers, water extraction, and salaries are all paid in USD.
As a result of this, potato farmers are having to suffer from financial losses, and the only way to reverse this, according to Fares, is for the Arab Gulf countries to allow Lebanese potato exports again.
Fares added that hundreds of Lebanese families rely on this sector for a living, he praised the “international quality” of Lebanese potatoes, and he called upon the government and the ministries of agriculture and economy to find a quick solution to this emergency.
Related: The Arab Gulf States Are Discussing Next Steps To End Rift With Lebanon.
