How the Agriculture Minister Turns Madrid Fair into Real Export Contracts for Lebanon

Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani visited the Fruit Attraction 2026 fair in the Spanish capital, Madrid, accompanied by Lebanese Ambassador to Spain Hani Shamitli, Director General of Agriculture Engineer Louis Louhoud, and his advisor Fadi Ghanem. This visit is part of the Ministry of Agriculture's initiative to enhance the presence of Lebanese agricultural products in foreign markets and open new export channels for farmers and producers.

During his meeting with Lebanese participants, Hani emphasized "the importance of moving from the concept of participating in fairs to an integrated commercial strategy that invests these platforms to reach importers, distribution networks, central markets, and retail chains directly, building sustainable commercial relationships that translate into actual export contracts for Lebanese products."

He stated: "Lebanon does not come to Madrid merely to display its products, but to say that it has a competitive agricultural sector, high-quality and distinctive products, and exporters with the expertise to reach international markets. Our mission as a ministry is to help turn this quality into real business opportunities and connect Lebanese farmers and exporters directly with markets and buyers."

Hani added: "Export today is no longer linked solely to fruit quality. Global competition relies on an integrated system starting from variety selection and good agricultural practices, passing through food safety, product sorting, grading, and packaging, reaching traceability, cold chain, and compliance with health and technical specifications for each market. The more we succeed in unifying this chain and improving its efficiency, the greater the ability of Lebanese products to compete and achieve higher added value for farmers."

On the sidelines of the fair, Hani met with Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk, discussing agricultural relations between Lebanon and Egypt, ways to enhance agricultural trade exchange, and facilitating the movement of products between the two countries. The meeting addressed the importance of continuing direct coordination between the ministries to address technical and logistical issues that may face agricultural trade exchanges, contributing to increased product flow and opening additional opportunities for Lebanese agricultural exports.

Hani affirmed "the importance of the Egyptian market for Lebanon," stressing that "enhancing Arab agricultural trade and integration between markets form a fundamental pillar for achieving food security and supporting farmers and producers in the region."

He noted that "Lebanon's participation in Fruit Attraction 2026 comes within the vision of the Ministry of Agriculture linking production development with market access," considering that "we cannot ask farmers to develop their production if we do not simultaneously work on securing the market. Therefore, our policy is based on two complementary tracks: increasing productivity and quality on one hand, and opening markets and building commercial partnerships on the other. Agricultural success is measured not only by the quantity produced, but by our ability to sell this production at a fair price and convert it into sustainable income for farmers and the national economy."

He clarified that "we want Lebanese products to reach markets with a clear identity, consistent specifications, and measurable and traceable quality. Competition is no longer just about price; it is about quality, supply continuity, food safety, packaging, logistics services, and the ability to respect contracts and specifications. These are the standards we are working to establish in the Lebanese agricultural sector."

Hani concluded his tour by confirming that "the Ministry of Agriculture will follow up on the results of meetings held in Madrid with Lebanese companies, importers, and partners."