MP Ashraf Baydoun, member of the Development and Liberation Bloc, conveyed the “concerns” of the southern tobacco and Tumbac farmers to Engineer Nassif Seklaoui, Director General of the Lebanese Regie for Tobacco. The meeting took place in Seklaoui’s office during the inauguration of the new center, with members of the management committee also in attendance.
Following the meeting, Baydoun stated, “We were honored to visit the Director General of the Regie and the Board of Directors to discuss the concerns of the farmers. This followed last week’s meeting with tobacco farmers from the Bint Jbeil and Marjeyoun districts. We conveyed the farmers’ concerns, particularly the cost of tobacco they are expected to deliver.”
He added, "First and foremost, we thanked the Regie for receiving the crops a month and a half earlier than usual, unlike in previous years. This has greatly relieved the farmers, who, like all southern citizens, live in a constant state of anxiety due to the Zionist attacks on southern Lebanon and the rest of the country."
He continued, "We conveyed the hardships faced by southern farmers, especially those on the front lines and in the rear areas. The impact of the war is not confined to the front lines, but also extends to the rear. We expressed our hope that the decisions to be issued by the Regie administration would take into account the realities faced by these towns, both front and rear. The suffering may vary in degree, but it is shared. The farmers, alongside their families, endured these challenges throughout the season in which they managed to cultivate.”
He added: “We also requested attention for the farmers who were unable to plant their crops this year. Additionally, we conveyed the farmers’ concerns, particularly regarding the need for social assistance to help ease the hardships they endured due to the Israeli aggression, given that this agricultural year was unlike previous years; it was truly an exceptional one.”
Baydoun emphasized, “The Director General and the Board of Directors assured us that they would take all the farmers’ concerns and observations into account. The farmer only seeks a decent life, one that allows him to sustain himself on his land despite the difficult circumstances he faces.”
He added, "They also promised that southern farmers will find relief and receive what they need once the final touches are made to the decisions the administration plans to implement."
Baydoun expressed hope that "all the decisions made will serve the interest of agriculture and the farmers, in line with the vision of the Speaker of Parliament who views tobacco cultivation as the seedling of resilience." He stressed that “the farmer is the primary force preventing the Zionist enemy from creating a depopulated, isolated zone.”
He continued, “If we want the southern farmers to withstand Zionist attacks, we must support them and stand by them through their hardships and suffering. By doing so, we preserve both the region and its farmers. I am confident that the decisions the Regie will issue this week will prioritize the farmers’ welfare and the cultivation of tobacco. The survival and steadfastness of our people on these lands, through the preservation of tobacco seedlings, is a direct challenge to the Zionist enemy, and we must approach the issue from this perspective.”