October 5, 2026
The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture aims to export at least 100,000 tons of apples during the 2026 season, as part of an integrated plan aimed at opening new foreign markets, reducing shipping costs, and stimulating local consumption to improve the economic returns for farmers.
In this context, CMA CGM announced a reduction in the cost of transporting Lebanese apples to a number of foreign markets. The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Nizar Hani, thanked the company for its initiative, considering it a practical contribution to supporting farmers and exporters and enhancing the competitiveness of Lebanese production. Hani stressed that “reducing the cost of transportation represents an essential element in the export equation, especially in light of the high cost of production and logistics services,” stressing the importance of the private sector’s partnership with the agricultural sector in transforming the abundance of production from a marketing challenge into an economic opportunity.
The Ministry of Agriculture explained, in a statement, that this step falls within the road map for the 2026 season, which was prepared in cooperation with the relevant ministries and departments, farmers, exporters, and the private sector. The plan is based on expanding foreign markets through communications at the highest levels, including the President’s movements with brotherly and friendly countries, as well as intensifying communication with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, the Emirates, Libya, and Qatar to facilitate the access of Lebanese apples, increase demand for them, and remove obstacles to their export.
The plan also depends on activating economic and agricultural diplomacy in cooperation with the Ministries of Economy and Trade and Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and building on meetings with ambassadors of Arab countries, in addition to activating the role of Lebanese embassies in promoting agricultural products and linking exporters with importers. This comes as a continuation of the visits and contacts that included Jordan and Iraq to address procedural and logistical obstacles.
In the shipping file, cooperation continues with the “CMA CGM” company to reduce the cost of transporting apples to major markets including Egypt, Libya, and Saudi Arabia via the port of Jeddah, which increases the competitiveness of the product and enables it to reach further markets on better commercial terms.
At the local level, the plan includes launching a national campaign to encourage Lebanese apple consumption, which includes organizing festivals and dedicated days, producing promotional materials and films, and activating media and digital campaigns. In parallel, the Ministry continues to accompany farmers, exporters, and owners of packaging and refrigeration centers to confront the challenges of energy, transportation, and storage, in addition to implementing agricultural extension programs to raise the quality of production and adherence to standards for pesticide residues and traceability.
In order to protect national production, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the continuation of the decision to stop importing apples, which has been in effect since 2025, to give priority to marketing local production and protecting farmers during the draining season.
Minister Nizar Hani concluded by emphasizing that the Ministry is dealing with the apple file across the entire value chain “from the orchard to the market,” to include the aspects of production, quality, packaging, storage, transportation, tracking, marketing, and opening markets.
