Ministry of Agriculture Launches Unified Service Desk with Comprehensive Administrative and Digital Reforms

The Ministry of Agriculture officially launched the unified service desk under the patronage of Minister Nizar Hani and Minister of State for Administrative Development Fadi Maki. Alongside this, the ministry announced a comprehensive set of administrative and digital reforms aimed at modernizing public administration, simplifying procedures, enhancing transparency, and accelerating the completion of transactions. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Ministry of Agriculture building - the annex, attended by Nora Ourabah Haddad, representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lebanon; Dr. Antoine Shaqir, Director General of the Presidency and Acting Head of the Civil Service Board Personnel Department; Nasreen Meshmoshi, Chairwoman of the Civil Service Board; Nidal Al-Ra’i, Inspector General for Health, Social, and Agricultural Affairs; Engineer Louis Lahoud, Director General of Agriculture; as well as several general directors, representatives of oversight bodies, international organizations, ministry partners, agricultural sector figures, and media professionals.

Louis Lahoud, the Director General of Agriculture, emphasized that the ministry plays a pivotal national role in serving the agricultural sector through its administrative structure, which includes four directorates, regional offices, and agricultural centers spread throughout Lebanon to ensure service and agricultural guidance reach all farmers. He noted that despite various challenges, the ministry continues to implement its programs and development plans, praising the significant efforts of ministry employees in the central administration, regional offices, and agricultural centers, who constitute the fundamental pillar for achieving accomplishments and advancing public services.

Rana Kafouri delivered a technical presentation outlining the Ministry of Agriculture’s vision for digital transformation. She highlighted key projects underway to modernize administration and electronic services.

She addressed the CTS system for electronic transaction tracking, which allows citizens and stakeholders to monitor their transactions directly and transparently, reducing time and increasing performance efficiency.

Kafouri also presented the national platform for agricultural training and guidance, Agri-Learning, which offers educational and advisory programs for farmers and agricultural workers to ensure access to modern knowledge and promote the application of best agricultural practices.

She discussed the LERV platform dedicated to the electronic registration of plant varieties, seedlings, and imported seeds, which forms the basis for establishing the National Catalog of Varieties.

Additionally, agricultural services available through the DAWLATI platform were showcased, alongside the announcement of the launch of the hotline 1789, which serves as a direct communication channel between the ministry and farmers and citizens to receive inquiries, guidance, and service follow-up.

In a first for Lebanese public administrations, the ministry announced the official launch of electronic signatures, making the Ministry of Agriculture the first public administration in Lebanon to adopt this service. This step aims to accelerate transaction processing, enhance transparency, and reduce reliance on paper transactions.

The opening session included a presentation by Minister of Agriculture’s advisor, Sawsan Bou Fakhr Eddine, on the Projects Dashboard supported by the Agricultural Partners Network. This national platform consolidates major agricultural programs, initiatives, and projects implemented in Lebanon.

She explained that the platform provides information on project locations, funding entities, beneficiary sectors and regions, and identifies gaps requiring intervention. This enhances transparency, improves coordination among donors and partners, prevents project duplication, and directs support toward the agricultural sector’s actual priorities.

Minister of State for Administrative Development Fadi Maki affirmed that digital transformation has become a fundamental pillar in building a modern public administration. He stated that the Ministry of Agriculture represents an advanced model in this field due to its clear vision, institutional readiness, and practical steps taken in digitization and procedure simplification. He noted that cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and his ministry has enabled about 10% of the ministry’s services to be digitalized and made available through the DAWLATI platform, reflecting the seriousness of this path and its potential for further development.

Maki commended the efforts of the ministry’s leadership and administrative and technical staff, congratulating all employees on the accomplished work. He confirmed that the achievements represent a model that can be built upon across various Lebanese public administrations.

Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani stressed that the opening of the unified service desk and the announcement of the administrative and digital reform package do not merely introduce new services but constitute a comprehensive reform path aimed at building a modern ministry capable of leading the revival of Lebanon’s agricultural sector.

He indicated that the ministry embarked on this path with a firm belief that developing the agricultural sector begins with developing the institution managing it. He announced the launch of seven interconnected reform axes, including ministry restructuring, enhancing administrative and human capacities, opening the unified service desk, accelerating digital transformation, adopting a national farmers’ registry, launching a full product tracking system from field to consumer, establishing the Agricultural Partners Network and the national agricultural projects platform, and launching the unified hotline 1789.

Hani revealed that the farmers’ registry now includes approximately 85,000 farmers, forming a national database that underpins support and investment policies, ensuring fairness and transparency in directing programs and assistance.

He also announced the launch of a comprehensive tracking program for agricultural products from the field to the consumer, aimed at enhancing food safety, improving the quality of Lebanese production, increasing trust in local and international markets, and opening wider opportunities for agricultural exports.

Hani highlighted the amplified importance of these reforms amid the recovery phase from the consequences of the war, noting that around 25,000 farmers were affected, over 56,000 hectares of agricultural land were impacted, along with significant losses in trees, crops, agricultural tents, livestock, poultry, beekeeping, and the fishing sector.

He explained that the ministry, in collaboration with local and international partners, developed a comprehensive early recovery plan starting with protecting farmers’ livelihoods, rehabilitating agricultural lands and facilities, and restoring various production chains. He confirmed that digitization, the farmers’ registry, the projects platform, and the partners network will ensure support is directed efficiently, fairly, and transparently.

Hani pointed out that these reforms are part of implementing the National Agricultural Strategy 2026-2035 and the Agricultural Investment Plan, which aim to build a more productive, competitive, and sustainable sector, enhance agricultural value chains, develop infrastructure, encourage investment, expand private sector partnerships, and open new markets for Lebanese products.

He stated that the ministry currently integrates three comprehensive tracks: recovery from war damage, institutional reform to build modern institutions, and investment to secure the future of Lebanese agriculture. He emphasized that reform is not a slogan but a sustainable work culture that places the farmer at the center of policies, links administration to data, support to need, production to market, and recovery to investment.

Finally, Hani expressed gratitude to the Minister of State for Administrative Development, the FAO, and all supporting partners. He extended special thanks to the ministry’s employees in the central administration, regional offices, and agricultural centers, affirming that the success of the reform process results from collective work and belief in the ministry’s mission to serve farmers, the agricultural sector, and the nation.

The ceremony concluded with a tour for attendees at the unified service desk, where they reviewed the new work mechanism and the digital services now provided by the Ministry of Agriculture. This step reflects the ministry’s transition to a new phase of smart administration and modern government services, enhancing citizen trust, improving public service quality, and establishing the Ministry of Agriculture as a leading model for administrative reform and digital transformation in Lebanon.