A large number of citrus orchard owners in the Akkar Plain are rushing to harvest their season “early” in order to take advantage of the prices, which they consider to still be “acceptable.” It is a plentiful season with a great yield in the Akkar Plain, where the citrus trees bear all types of fruit: sour oranges, lemons, "afendi," "Abu Sarrah," clementines, pomelos... even the small trees seem to touch the ground with the weight of their produce. It can be said that the harvesting season began about a week or more ago, and the orchard owners have started sending boxes of citrus to the markets and stores for sale, making the most of the time, especially as citrus fruits from Syria have begun to crowd the local season and compete in the markets.
However, some others are still holding off until mid-month, hoping that the trees will absorb more rainfall to increase the juice quantity in the fruits. Yet, they do so with the knowledge that by then, the market will likely be flooded with sour oranges and lemons, which are currently selling for 12,000 Lebanese pounds per kilogram and could potentially drop to half that price. Rashid Qamar al-Din, a citrus orchard owner, told “Nidaa al-Watan”: “We started our season early, but it is a mature, excellent, and abundant season. Akkar citrus is well-known to be among the best types of citrus, and everyone attests to that.” He added: “The initial prices are generally acceptable, but we fear external competition from lesser-quality harvests than Akkar’s citrus, which, as soon as our season begins, flood the local market. Here we ask: What is the role of the Ministry of Agriculture in preserving Lebanon's seasons and protecting them from competition? We have incurred substantial costs for irrigation, spraying, fertilization, and all forms of care against a dramatic rise in the dollar, and we only want to recover our expenses.” Qamar al-Din hopes that the export market to the Gulf countries will reopen, “as we have a wonderful season to be proud of, and exporting abroad will relieve farmers and help them endure.”
Citrus farming holds a prestigious place in the Akkar Plain with its various types, as it is considered one of the main agricultural sectors relied upon by a significant proportion of the region's residents. It is concentrated in towns like Tal Maian, al-Qleiat, Tal Hayat, Tal Abbas, Balana al-Hayssa, Tal Indi, Tal Birah, al-Masoudiah, and others. This type of farming occupies vast areas of Akkar's land, especially in its plains and coastal regions, where it used to represent about 70% of the plain's agricultural land. However, this area has diminished as farmers shifted to other crops due to the recession it suffered in recent years, high competition, and declining prices. Akkar citrus is considered of excellent quality, and it can be said that the local market is currently the only available outlet for sales, and “the rush to harvest,” as farmers emphasize, is to avoid selling at rock-bottom prices.
