RMF launched a new initiative to help the Lebanese apple growers export their produce to new foreign markets. The initiative was an answer to the serious crisis that the Lebanese apple farmers have been enduring for the past few years, not being able to find markets for their produce. It is an initiative that comes under RMF’s ‘Providing support for Agriculture and for Rural Development’ program.

The efforts put by RMF’s Executive Director Michel Moawad led to opening the Russian markets for the first time to the Lebanese apples. RMF worked in cooperation with a company that specializes in finding markets for Lebanese vegetables and fruits in Russia.

The apple crisis

The Lebanese apple grower depends on this activity to earn his livelihood. Closed borders and poor marketing in foreign countries had caused him recently to face extremely challenging conditions while trying to sell his produce. What added to his plight this season was the issue of the compensation proposed to him by the government, for not being able to sell his produce. Consequently, most of farmers were left with no gains or profit.

The urging appeals to the government and the authorities to support and help the apple producers reach foreign markets hadn’t led to any relevant initiative. Trusting the quality of the Lebanese apple and the potential to export it to the various parts of the world, RMF moved forward with the ‘Russian market’ initiative.

The endeavor is in tune with RMF’s main objectives to help the Lebanese citizen stay in his land, and help establish foundations for his social stability. In this case, the initiative will help the Lebanese farmers live with dignity and have access to social justice.

A similar project for Lebanese potatoes

RMF is currently working on accessing other markets around the world like Africa and East Asia to export local fruits and vegetables and help more farmers market their produce. The ‘Growing the Potato and Leafy Green Value Chain for Improved Livelihoods’ project, funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Lebanon and presently being executed by RMF, is an example of this work. This project focuses on improving the Value-chain for potato and leafy green farmers in Akkar. One of the most important goals of the project is to facilitate the export of the Lebanese potatoes to European markets making use of an agreement granting Lebanon the right to export 50,000 tons of potatoes to the European Union countries yearly (of course while respecting the European required standards). The climate in Akkar allows the potato crops to be collected earlier than in Europe. This represents a valuable opportunity that RMF is making use of to successfully export the Lebanese potatoes to the European markets.

RMF is dedicated to provide support to the Lebanese farmers through development projects and services that encourage them to ‘stay on their land’.