Lebanon to increase wheat sowing to 24,000 acres: agriculture minister

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
26 Jul 2023 09:20

In response to the suspension of the Black Sea grain deal, the Lebanese government has deliberated to dedicate larger spaces of land for wheat production.

A farmer harvests wheat on June 21, 2022 (Anadolu Agency)

Following the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Deal and concerns over potential impacts on the country's food security, Lebanon has announced plans to significantly increase the area of wheat sowing to suffice the country's consumption.

The acting Lebanese Agriculture Minister, Abbas Al Hajj Hassan, revealed on Tuesday that the government aims to sow on 100,000 dunams (24,700 acres) of land to bolster its wheat production.

Minister Al Hajj Hassan emphasized that the Lebanese Agriculture Ministry had initiated a wheat cultivation plan a year and a half ago, leading to the successful growth of wheat on 15,000 dunams during that period.

Now, with the goal of expanding the cultivation area more than six-fold, Lebanon hopes to safeguard its food supplies and reduce its dependence on grain imports, particularly in light of the current geopolitical situation affecting grain trade between Russia and Ukraine.

The acting minister expressed confidence that dedicating such a vast area to wheat sowing would be sufficient to cover the country's needs for a significant duration of four months. He pointed out that Lebanon's wheat production could potentially fulfill 70% of its domestic consumption, which would substantially alleviate the burden on the nation's food resources.

Minister Al Hajj Hassan stated, "Sowing wheat in Lebanon can provide 70% of its consumption [in the country]. This will reduce the burden on Lebanon and create a new way for consumption, especially after fears appeared of a crisis that threatens food security due to the events between Russia and Ukraine."

Back on July 17, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the agreements underlying the contentious Black Sea grain deal have been terminated, and said the country will return to the agreement as soon as all parties involved take the previously agreed-upon procedures.

The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow has officially notified Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN that it will not renew the agreement.

The UN-brokered deal, signed by Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine on July 22, 2022, was set to expire awaiting an extension aimed at providing a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships transporting agriproducts to sail from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

Earlier, international watchdogs have repeatedly warned that the lion's share of the food produce was delivered to the West, while poor countries combined received less than one-third of exports.

According to the UN coordinator, developing and impoverished nations received only 10 percent of corn and 40 percent of wheat, while rich countries obtained 90 percent of corn and 60 percent of wheat.