Lebanese Tobacco Farmers Urge Government to Increase Prices for Export Losses

Source from:  Al Bawaba.com (jo)  08/27/2015

Tobacco farmers in Akkar called upon the government to support the sector by allowing them to expand their harvested areas while increasing the number of kgs per permit from 330 kg to 500 kg.

"We also ask the government to increase the price of 1 kg from LL10,000 to LL12,000 to help farmers in covering their living expenses," said Abdel Hamid Sakr, head of the syndicate of tobacco farmers in the north.

Sakr said farmers in Akkar rely on tobacco to make up for their losses after the halt in the exports of other agricultural products due to the closure of Nassib border crossing in April.

Nassib was the last functioning border crossing between Jordan and Syria. "Tobacco farming is our only hope for the time being but it costs us a lot because it needs special pesticides and the cost of irrigation is too high in addition to the elevated cost of labor," said farmer Youssef Ahmed. Enditem