Jabal Amel plans sustainable development

Sweets factories for women in Taybeh

The Union of Jabal Amel Municipalities is planning a new factory for chocolate, sweets, and pastries in Taybeh, in collaboration with the local women’s cooperative. Ali Alzein, Head of the Union, said: “This step will create new opportunities for women in this region, and answer the needs for such products.”

The Union set a strategic plan to develop the region and create jobs. It dedicated about $20,000 for equipment in the 150 square meter factory that will employ about 11 women as a first step. Alzein said: “Several training sessions were conducted for participating women to acquire the necessary knowhow.”

The factory will start operating at the beginning of October. Alzein said another sweets factory will be opened in Majdal Selem, if the Taybeh project succeeds.

The Union of Jabal Amel Municipalities also launched a poultry farm project recently, allotting a specific number of chickens to around 500 farmers, at half the price. Alzein said investment in the project was close to $60,000.

Another project by the Union involved creating model farms to plant different kinds of vegetables around the year, using new techniques. The project will be implemented in two phases; the first phase covers the steel structures, fertilizers, irrigation network, and ground covers. The second phase will be planting the seeds and covering it with white nylon.

Alzein said that these new techniques contribute to increasing production, whereby every four donums could generate income between $5,000 and $7,000, and could produce three harvests annually. “Agricultural engineers will be making field trips to advise the farmers,” he said.