Minister of Agriculture Abbas al-Haj Hassan emphasized that "smuggling operations to and from Lebanon have existed since the past, but in recent times, they have significantly increased to the point of impacting the agricultural sector in Lebanon as a whole and affecting our farmers who are already suffering under the weight of the economic crisis and the challenge of funding their small, medium, and large projects.” He added in an interview with "Ad-Diyar": “The first reason is the collapse of the Syrian currency, which has increased the appetite of smugglers toward Lebanese territory. The second reason is the weak oversight at the borders, and the third reason is the laxity in controlling these smuggled materials.”
Al-Haj Hassan stressed the "necessity of coordination between security, military, administrative, and ministerial forces in Lebanon, as well as coordination with the official Syrian side to reduce smuggling operations to and from Lebanon." He noted that "in crises, smuggling operations become more active" and emphasized the need for supervision, awareness, and activation of official governmental, administrative, and security efforts to mitigate these operations.
He pointed out that "the invasion of Syrian products into Lebanese territory significantly impacts Lebanese farmers, citing damage to the Bekaa potato season, followed by the watermelon season, the grape season, and the fruit season." In response to a question about what the Ministry of Agriculture is doing to combat this issue, Al-Haj Hassan stated: "We launched a broad campaign in all wholesale markets in Lebanon under the auspices of the competent judiciary, accompanied by security agencies, specifically State Security, revealing that a considerable amount of smuggled products were seized and records were established."
He affirmed that "this is not enough; there must always be counter-smuggling or inspection operations without prior warning, supported by security forces in cooperation with the competent judiciary, as well as with Lebanese customs and the Ministry of Economy." He noted, "We cannot leave this chaos as it is, and today in the Ministry of Agriculture, we have established a mechanism and strategy in this regard," indicating that "smuggling is not limited to vegetables, fruits, and food products but also extends to fertilizers and agricultural medicines that are very harmful and dangerous."
Al-Haj Hassan added, "We have been fighting in this context for years because in the Ministry of Agriculture, we grant licenses to companies importing medicines and agricultural pharmacies and veterinary pharmacies, but there are those who operate outside this framework." He revealed that “there is a partnership project with the FAO in this context, especially regarding seizures, combat mechanisms, and logistical support."
Al-Haj Hassan concluded by saying: "This smuggling of medicines and fertilizers negatively impacts product quality; thus, we need awareness and agricultural guidance that we have been working on for a long time to educate farmers that cheaper medicine is not the best and will harm them and others. He affirmed that addressing these issues is a comprehensive process involving both internal and external factors and the public and private sectors."
