Farmers protest decision to lower milk prices

BEIRUT: Livestock breeders and members of the Milk Producers Cooperative Unions blocked the road Wednesday outside the Department of Agriculture in Zahle to protest a decision to decrease the price of milk.

Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayab announced Tuesday a drop in milk prices, citing a lack of sales due to poor demand and regional turmoil.

“The price of a liter of milk will be set at LL1000 ... [decreasing from] LL1100,” Chehayeb told a news conference Tuesday following a meeting with Jack Kallah, the president of the National Dairy Producers Union, as well as the head of the Akkar Cooperative of Milk Production and member of the National Milk Producers Union Joseph Abdallah.

Chehayeb’s move was linked to Health Minister Wael Abu Faour’s crackdown on food safety violators, which saw the closure of many dairy factories across Lebanon.

Chehayeb also announced a series of measures to protect local milk production. The measures compel farmers to stamp products made from fresh and not powdered milk, as well as institute additional border controls to stop the illegal import of dairy products from Syria.

The agriculture minister also announced the creation of a “control room” to receive complaints.

Farmers blocked the Riyaq-Baalbek highway in the Bekaa Valley Sunday to protest their inability to sell their dairy products and threatened escalation if their demands were not met.

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