Italy backs potato farmers

Plan to export produce into Europe

A new program to help potato farmers market their produce was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in cooperation with Italy. Earlier, the government had signed a trade partnership agreement with the European Union (EU) which stated that farmers will be able to export around 50,000 tons of potatoes to European markets each year. According to the MoA, the new program will help put the agreement into application since farmers have not yet benefited from it. So far, local potatoes have not been able to access EU markets.

Local farmers produce some 300,000 tons of potato yearly, half of which is exported. About 250,000 tons of potatoes are produced in the Bekaa, and 50,000 tons in Akkar.

Tony Tohme, a potato exporter and Head of the Economy Committee at the Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture of Zahleh, questioned the viability of the program because the quality of Lebanese potatoes does not meet EU standards. “Local potatoes cannot be exported into the European market. They ask for small and round potatoes, because they believe that the big potato planted in Lebanon contains chemical residues,” said Tohme.

Climate conditions also hinder farmers from exporting their produce to Europe, he said: “Our harvest is produced at the same time as theirs, which begins in June. Only the potatoes grown in Akkar, which are harvested around April, can be exported to Europe for a short period.”

The program is funded by the Italian Cooperation Office through a $520,000 grant. The MoA has contributed a sum of $235,000 for the project.