Lebanon is accelerating the pace towards the great collapse that most international financial institutions have always warned of in successive reports, as well as most economic and financial experts. The price of the dollar and its rapid leaps in recent days did not escape, and it approached 37,000 pounds, yesterday, Wednesday, and the price of a can of gasoline increased by regarding 50,000 pounds. During the past three days, yesterday it reached 666000 L. to. Gasoline is 95 octane, and 682,000 L. to. Gasoline 98 octane, but a few omen of what awaits us in the coming days.
There is no doubt that the various productive sectors are struggling, in light of this reality, to continue and be steadfast, but for how long? Whatever the ability of any institution, industrial, commercial, agricultural, tourism, or others, to confront, the rolling crisis since its eruption in October 2019 has not left enough possibilities to continue. Among these sectors, the dairy and cheese production sector, and the manufacture of dairy products of all kinds, is on the verge of an inevitable disaster unless certain measures are taken to help it withstand.
Many owners of cheese and dairy factories and breeders of cows, goats and sheep confirm to the Lebanese Forces website that they are “on the verge of bankruptcy and the closure of their institutions, with the unfortunate fate of thousands of families who subsist from this sector, as hundreds of workers and employees have been pushed into unemployment.”
They point out that “dozens of farms and small and medium-sized factories have been closed during the past two months, and the chain continues, as we witness daily the closure of more than one cow farm or factory for the production of dairy and cheese, especially in light of the illegal and dishonest competition that farmers and industrialists are exposed to, in the absence of any presence.” The state and the concerned ministries are absent from hearing.”
They point out that “officials are deaf to hearing the cries of farmers and industrialists, or they justify the lack of capabilities, the strike of public sector employees, the high fuel costs and transportation costs, and the like, to follow up on the market evasion, among them are the Ministry of Economy’s monitors, whose modest numbers do not allow them to monitor Effective under normal conditions, how much more in light of the exceptional circumstances and the state of Haryan we are living in?
They reveal, to the “Al-Quwat” website, that “one of the (suspicious) factories in the Bekaa region sells half a kilo of milk at 20,000 LBP, while the cost of milk to manufacture half a kilo of bricks is regarding 40,000 LBP on a dollar at 36,000 LBP. .to. Note that this is for milk only, excluding manufacturing, cooling, and transportation costs, including electricity bills and subscriptions for generators, diesel and gasoline, as well as labor. And this is all before setting any profit rate for the factory.”
They stress, “In any economic or financial rules and any method of calculation adopted, and in any method of competition, what is happening cannot be legitimate and legitimate, in any way. Certainly, there are suspicious things happening at this level for the purposes of we don’t know what they are? Is the goal to destroy this sector? And for whose benefit? Or maybe there is a bleaching process going on under this curtain? We do not know, and it is the responsibility of the state and oversight bodies to answer these legitimate questions, not the responsibility of the farmer and producer who works under the roof of the law and is trying to survive without any support.”
The owners of dairy and cheese factories assert that “the catastrophe is no longer a possibility, but has become inevitable, according to what we began to notice in the last days of the market movement. For example, dozens of small and medium-sized shops and mini-markets no longer order merchandise or have reduced quantities to minimum levels. In a tour of distribution representatives to regarding 100 shops and mini-markets, for example, to display and download the goods, regarding 10% or 15% of them, at best, receive a very limited amount, by the piece, of milk, labneh, cheese and others.”
They point out that “a large number of shop and mini-market owners are now apologizing for asking or accepting cheese and milk, as a result of the goods being damaged due to the well-known electricity crisis and the cost of subscribing to generators, which have become in cash dollars, which they cannot afford.” Noting that even generator owners are implementing severe rationing that amounts to regarding 8 hours in 24 hours in some areas, which exposes the goods to damage. Therefore, it is logical that the owners of shops and mini-markets prefer to extinguish the refrigerators of milk and cheese and dispense with them in their stores, rather than continuing to incur losses.”
The owners of dairy and cheese factories stress that “if the situation continues as it is, unfortunately, hundreds of farms and factories will inevitably close, and only some major companies and factories that can bear the loss more will remain in the market.”
They point out that “it will not be surprising in the near future, the absence of dairy products of all kinds in most shops and mini-markets, and they are limited to some major supermarkets that have capabilities that allow them to operate their refrigerators throughout the day, whether through their own generators, or through panels The solar energy you are installing.”
They add, “While the owners of shops and mini-markets, they may not have the cost of installing alternative energy production methods, or they may not risk spending money that they prefer to keep in order to continue and withstand in the current circumstances, especially in light of the stalemate in the situation in general.”
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