In Lebanon: A New Potato Variety Resists Diseases

Under the invitation of MP Michel Daher, and under the patronage and presence of Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani, and with the participation of a large number of potato farmers in Lebanon, a new potato variety named 'Faja' was unveiled, distinguished by its resistance to diseases, high productivity, and superior quality.

Minister Hani inspected the harvesting process of an agricultural field in the Saraain area, where the specifications of the new variety were presented, which is expected to contribute to reducing the production cost per dunam of potatoes and improving agricultural output.

The field day was attended by the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Engineer Louis Lahoud, along with a large number of potato farmers from Bekaa and Akkar.

After the field tour in the Saraain field, an expanded meeting was held at Al-Shams Restaurant at the invitation of MP Michel Daher, bringing together Minister of Agriculture Dr. Nizar Hani, Director General of the Ministry Dr. Louis Lahoud, and a number of farmers and agricultural figures, in the presence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Scientific Research Institute Dr. Jad Shaya, Head of the Daher Foods Group Georges Daher, Head of the National Union of Lebanese Farmers Ibrahim Tarchichi, Head of the Wheat Farmers Syndicate in Bekaa Najib Fares, along with a crowd of farmers and those interested in agricultural affairs.

MP Michel Daher, in his speech, affirmed the necessity of moving towards new potato varieties characterized by abundant production, disease resistance, and high quality, in addition to varieties that meet the needs of the food and potato industries, stressing that contract farming constitutes one of the most important outlets for marketing agricultural production, calling for its adoption and development.

In turn, the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Louis Lahoud, presented a set of proposals aimed at developing potato production in the Bekaa, praising the role played by MP Michel Daher in supporting the agricultural sector and working to market local production.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Nizar Hani affirmed that contract farming represents the main entry point for developing the agricultural sector and putting an end to its problems, calling for the adoption of new varieties that suit the requirements of industry and the market. He also pointed to the importance of searching for modern agricultural varieties, citing the varieties that were reviewed during the field tour, which are characterized by their resistance to diseases and climatic factors, and are considered an advanced step in terms of developing agricultural production in Lebanon.