The Lebanese avocado and custard apple campaigns are about to kick off in Lebanon, amidst tension and concern over the geopolitical and security situation in the south of the country. According to Shadi Kaadan, CEO of Kaadan Center, production areas and logistics are not affected at present, but the lurking war can quickly flare up, after months of exchange of fire.
The grower says: "Doubts are hanging over the fate of the season. The avocado campaign starts in 10 days and the sweet-apple campaign in a month. We fear difficulties in harvesting and transporting the produce. So far, the villages affected by the violence in the south of the country are few in number, and farmers there find it quite difficult to access their lands. Elsewhere, the roads are open, and the workforce can work under normal conditions. We hope that the situation will evolve towards de-escalation."
So far, it's the Stone Fruit campaign that's been experiencing difficulties due to the ongoing fighting. Kaadan says, "Many airlines suspended their cargo services during the stone fruit campaign but have now resumed. A major airline we use to ship to the Gulf countries has decided to increase insurance fees by 15%. This atmosphere of uncertainty and rising costs is likely to disrupt the avocado and custard apple seasons as well."
These adverse conditions hinder a considerable production effort, says the grower, who explains: "Volumes of both products are huge this year. For avocados, vast areas were planted years ago in southern Lebanon, and they are coming into production this year, all varieties included (Fuerte, Hass, Pinkerton, and others), and the quality is impeccable. We're also expecting huge harvests of custard apples, including the A-grade that are most in-demand".
"If the geopolitical and security factor doesn't worsen, we're expecting a fine season. There is already demand from several markets in Europe, the Gulf countries, Canada, North Africa, and Turkey," concludes Kaadan.
For more information:
Chady Kaadan
Kaadan Center
+961 70500520
Email: [email protected]
www.kaadancenter.com