Watermelon importers now require permits

Imports from Jordan fall due to Syrian conflict

The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) issued a decision urging watermelon importers to obtain a prior permission from the Ministry of Agriculture. The decision is timed to coincide with the local watermelons harvest. The harvest recently took off in the South and will start in Alqaa, Bekaa, by next week.

Lebanon produces between 50,000 to 70,000 tons of watermelon yearly, planted on 10 million square meters in different regions in the South, North, and Bekaa. About 5,000 tons of watermelons are imported each year, of which 80 percent come from Jordan. The remaining amounts are imported from Egypt and Yemen.

Tony Tohme, Vice-President of the Association of Lebanese Farmers, said: “Farmers could benefit from this decision if the MoA decided to decrease the number of import permits offered to importers.” According to Tohme, imports from Jordan through Syria will stop eventually, regardless of the MoA’s decision: “Farmers will benefit in this case as watermelons will only be imported from Egypt and Yemen.”