And that the difference in quality between one region and another or one factory and another is usually behind the difference in prices, due to the timing of harvesting and the manner in which it is carried out, as well as to the field treatment and attention to feeding the tree and the land. It is no secret to anyone that supplemental irrigation of the tree in summer days to prevent dehydration from damaging its leaves and olive kernels also has an effect. Then there is the method of pressing and storage, which must be carried out in “stainless steel” tanks and in refrigerated places, the temperature of which does not exceed 22 degrees Celsius, according to Mishntef.
He pointed out that the current season will be better than the previous one in terms of quantity and quality, but the cost will be high, appealing to the state in this context to activate the oversight bodies, punish violators and control the borders to prevent fraud, fraud and smuggling and help the Lebanese farmer to achieve this, by providing fertilizers and medicines Agriculture at cost prices, or guiding him to improve quality and quality so that he can export his produce to new foreign markets that will bring him a better financial return. The serious attempts made by those concerned to promote the production of olive oil – whose farmers constitute the largest proportion of all farmers in Lebanon – are praised by many people in the sector. However, the economic and living conditions overwhelm the actual and practical ability to carry out any work that would contribute to overcoming obstacles for olive growers under the current circumstances.
For his part, Youssef Fares, owner of the ZEJD brand in the Beno Akkari region, indicated that the reasons for the high price of olive oil are due to the fact that most of the raw materials used in the land are imported from abroad. He added, “The tractors used to plow the land are not locally made, in addition to the fuel that we pay for in dollars. The wages of labor are the only ones we pay in lira, and they have also increased in an unprecedented way.”
Picking constitutes a major dilemma due to the absence of mechanization. According to Fares, some still rely on old technologies, while the farmer has no possibility of adopting modern technology. As for the issue of olive pressing, it will create a new challenge this year in light of the power cuts and the mills’ dependence on diesel, which will make the cost of pressing a single tank range between 8 and 10 dollars.
Regarding the obstacles, he said: “We used to export large quantities to Saudi Arabia, but this market was closed, while the local market, which consisted mainly of restaurants and hotels, declined significantly. Whoever used to buy two tins and more became satisfied with half a tin.”
According to the head of the Industrialists’ Gathering in the Bekaa, Nicolas Abu Faisal, the olive oil production has decreased significantly. Whereas Lebanon used to produce about 80,000 tons annually for twenty years, today its production does not exceed 20 thousand tons. As for exports, according to the statistics of the Ministries of Industry and Economy, they amounted to about 5,000 tons, compared to imports of 4,500 tons. Noting that oil exports declined by 22% due to successive crises, while Lebanon imports some of its types in pursuit of an era – that is, an era – for expenditures.