Conflict and weather extremes dwindle Lebanese harvest

In November, the International Olive Council estimated that Lebanon would produce 18,000 tons of olive oil in the current crop year, in line with the five-year average. However, adverse weather conditions exacerbated by climate change led many local producers to believe the final figure would be considerably lower. According to Murr Television, a local media outlet, yields have dropped from 120 liters per square meter to less than 20 liters in certain regions. The escalation of tensions along the southern border with Israel compounded the challenges faced by olive oil producers. Since the October 7th attack by Hamas, a political and military organization backed by Iran that governs Gaza, on Israel, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli Defence Force and Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian political party and militia. The conflict has severely disrupted the olive harvest. According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, at least 386 fires caused by Israeli ...