Agriculture Minister Discusses Grape Marketing Challenges and New Markets with Bekaa Farmers

The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Zahle and the Bekaa hosted a dialogue meeting bringing together Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani, accompanied by the Ministry’s Director General Louis Lahoud, table grape farmers and exporters. The discussion focused on sector challenges, particularly the marketing of the 2026 harvest production, ways to enhance competitiveness, and opening new export markets.

Attending the meeting were Chamber President Munir Tini and board members: Treasurer Mohammad Bakri, Said Al-Laqis, and Tony Taama.

The debate addressed the rise in production volumes due to the expansion of cultivated areas in recent years, and the need to strengthen agricultural awareness and guidance based on accurate studies and statistics to help make informed decisions regarding investment in agriculture.

With expectations that production will continue to increase in the coming years, farmers emphasized the importance of diversifying export markets and not relying solely on traditional ones, moving towards promising markets including India and South Africa.

Hani noted the progress made in this field, including ongoing meetings to sign a quarantine protocol with India, as well as preparations to implement a farm-to-port control system starting April 2027, ensuring product quality and safety. He also announced following up on the request to establish specialized infrastructure for sterilizing pallets prepared for export.

The meeting raised issues regarding the responsible use of pesticides, strengthening integrated pest management, and developing good agricultural practices through the Lebanon GAP project, alongside marketing problems and wholesale markets, particularly the consignment sales system which exposes small farmers to financial risks.

Emphasis was also placed on the importance of developing packaging, bottling, and branding.

In this context, he stressed the importance of the agricultural registry and its role in organizing the sector, enhancing traceability of agricultural products and their production and marketing stages. Linked to this is the demand for establishing a National Fund for Emergencies and Environmental Disasters, for which the Ministry of Agriculture has drafted a bill.

The issue of drilling artesian wells was also discussed. Hani clarified that the ministry has put in place a regulatory mechanism to intervene in requests falling within its competencies, contributing to controlling the process and limiting violations.

Hani had previously affirmed that the ministry is working on executive and practical steps related to agricultural value chains, including the grape chain, without favoring one chain over another. He stressed the pivotal role of sectoral committees in preparing a clear roadmap defining priorities, tasks, and responsibilities, and proposing practical solutions to the challenges facing each sector.