STORY: Lebanese farmers face olive season loss due to ongoing Hezbollah-Israeli conflict
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 29, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 31, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:30
LOCATION: Beirut
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of olive trees in the southern city of Hasbaya
2. various of farmers harvesting olive trees
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): SAEED ZEINEDDINE, Olive farmer in Hasbaya
4. various of empty streets and closed shops in Hasbaya

STORYLINE:

Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan has told Xinhua that the ongoing Israeli airstrikes have devastated olive farmers, who have lost two consecutive seasons.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have escalated since Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in support of Hamas, displacing tens of thousands of Lebanese and disrupting agriculture in southern Lebanon.

Hassan said that more than 50,000 olive trees were burned and thousands more damaged due to Israel's use of bombs.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic): SAEED ZEINEDDINE, Olive farmer in Hasbaya
"It is very dangerous for us to harvest our olives. Sometimes missiles hit here and sometimes there. It's very dangerous everywhere. The current situation does not permit any worker or helping hand to come here."
   
According to the agriculture minister, once the conflict subsides, the ministry will assess the damage to the agricultural and livestock sectors, including the olive fields, which span approximately 120,000 dunams (about 30,000 acres) in southern Lebanon, in preparation for compensating the owners.

"The Lebanese government has notified the United Nations of the agricultural losses caused by Israeli bombing," he said.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, Lebanon has over 15 million olive trees, producing 150,000 to 250,000 tonnes of olives annually, which yields 15,000 to 25,000 tonnes of olive oil. Of this, approximately 5,000 to 8,000 tonnes are exported.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut.
(XHTV)