October 9, 2026
The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture reaffirmed its orientation towards linking international support to the needs of farmers and opening new markets for local production, with the Minister of Agriculture, Nizar Hani, concluding an official working visit to the Spanish capital, Madrid, which carried vital files that included rehabilitating the agricultural sector in the south, expanding export opportunities, and strengthening Lebanon’s presence in international agricultural institutions.
The Lebanese Ambassador to Spain, Hani Chmaytelli, the Director General of Agriculture, Louis Lahoud, the Minister’s Advisor, Fadi Ghanem, and the Lebanese Consul to Spain, Carla Hassoun, participated in the series of official and professional meetings held by Minister Hani.
In the most prominent stations, Hani met with the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, where the discussion focused on following up on the implementation of the agricultural cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in February 2026, and transforming it into practical programs that serve the Lebanese agricultural sector. The Lebanese side focused on putting the rehabilitation of agriculture in southern Lebanon at the heart of the talks, calling for Spanish support to rehabilitate the damaged farms and infrastructure to help farmers regain their activity and remain on their lands.
The talks also dealt with benefiting from Spanish expertise in modern irrigation systems, agricultural water management, and technology transfer, in addition to developing mechanisms for agricultural emergency management, compensation, and insurance. The two sides agreed to send a Spanish technical team to Lebanon to follow up on the files in the field and identify projects that can be implemented within the framework of bilateral cooperation.
In the context of strengthening the international presence, Hani met with the Executive Director of the International Olive Council, Jaime Leo, where he announced Lebanon’s candidacy for the presidency of the Council, after assuming the position of Vice President for the year 2026, with the aim of supporting olive and olive oil producers and strengthening Lebanon’s position in this vital sector.
On the commercial level, the Minister accompanied the Lebanese participation in the “Fruit Attraction 2026” exhibition, and visited the Lebanese pavilion, which included 10 companies, associations and institutions working in production, packaging, export and agricultural services. Hani stressed that participation in international exhibitions aims to transform into actual export opportunities, explaining by saying: “We do not participate only to display the Lebanese product, but to meet directly with importers and distributors, build real partnerships, and transform these participations into export contracts and sustainable opportunities.” For farmers and producers,” adding: “We have great confidence in the quality of our products and in the ability of the Lebanese farmer and exporter to compete, and our goal is to make every international participation a new door for the Lebanese product to world markets.”
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Hani met with the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, and discussed with him ways to enhance trade exchange and facilitate the movement of products between the two countries, with a focus on addressing the technical and logistical issues that hinder exports. Hani stressed the importance of the Egyptian market, considering that enhancing Arab agricultural trade and integration between markets represent an essential pillar for supporting farmers and achieving food security.
This visit comes at a time when Lebanon is seeking to revitalize its agricultural sector after the extensive damage inflicted on various regions, especially the south, in parallel with the urgent need to improve water management and quality and open additional markets for local production.
