Tobacco.org

Farmers demand more pay for tobacco harvest 

NABATIEH: Southern farmers have begun flocking to the fields to secure their primary source of income with the advent of the tobacco harvesting season. The tobacco plant, or the “bitter plant soaked in sweat and blood” as farmers like to call it, is predominantly grown in south Lebanon where it represents the main source of in­come for around 16,500 families.

The history of the tobacco plant in Lebanon remains obscure, with some saying that Italians first introduced the plant to the country in 1598, while others suggest that it arrived during the reign of Emir Fakhr al-Din II in 1625.

Yet whatever its origins, today almost 25,000 Lebanese families earn their living from the plant, working over 10 million square meters of land for an annual income for each family of about $2,400.

However, southern farmers are now demanding an increase in the allowed annual production rate from 5 million kilograms per year to 7 million kilograms, as well as a hike in tobacco prices. They are also asking to benefit from the National Social Security Fund and to have their farming licenses renewed.

Jump to full article »