Farmers threaten open-ended strike

Call for easier procedures to obtain permits for trucks, lower customs on sea shipping

Farmers threatened to launch an open-ended strike next week if the government does not take a set of measures they deem to rescue the sector. The farmers’ associations, which held a broad meeting today, called on the government to support exports within the shy local demand and the hardships of land trade.

Farmers complained of the “unreasonably high” transportation fees charged by owners of refrigerated trucks. They called on authorities to slash taxes on the movement of cooled trucks, and facilitate administrative procedures to allow trucks from KSA, Jordan, and Syria to enter and leave the country. “We need 100 trucks each day, but there are only around 20 trucks available,” said Ibrahim Tarshishi, president of the Association of Farmers in the Bekaa.

Farmers urged authorities to facilitate export through sea as well. They called for reducing custom fees, raising the number of staff at ports to speed up operations, and increasing the subsidy on shipping costs.

They called for temporary lifting all specifications applied to agricultural exports through the Agri-Plus State subsidy program, and imposing a ban on imports of locally produced products, mainly potatoes, onions, and watermelons.

The farmers called for a 'permanent emergency committee' to ensure the implementation of these measures and support agriculture in times of crisis.

Reported by Hanadi Chami