By Nohad Topalian | 2025-04-28

BEIRUT -- The Lebanese agricultural sector suffered more than $700 million in losses and damage, primarily due to Hizbullah's most recent war with Israel, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In an April 11 assessment, prepared with Lebanon's Ministry of Agriculture and National Council for Scientific Research, the FAO detailed approximately $118 million in direct damages and $586 million in losses during the conflict period.

Southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley were the hardest hit, with crops, livestock, forests, fisheries and aquaculture sustaining significant impact.

Citrus, banana, potato, wheat and barley crops suffered $19 million in damages, while the loss of livestock, including poultry operations and beehives, reached $28 million, the report said.

Some 5,000 hectares of pine forests also were damaged, AFP reported.

The destruction was particularly severe for olive growers, with 814 hectares of groves burned, resulting in $12 million in damage and $237 million in losses.

"My olive groves are decades old, cared for by my grandfather and father to be a source of livelihood we take pride in," farmer and border village resident Hussein told Al-Fassel, asking that his full name be withheld.

"In the blink of an eye, the trees turned to ash because of Hizbullah, which turned our groves into launchpads for its rockets," he said.

"Hizbullah is Iran's agent of destruction in Lebanon and the region," Hussein said. "The party has no regard for civilians or the harm it causes them."

'Hizbullah is accountable'

Journalist and farmer Pierre Atallah, who owns vineyards and olive groves in Hasbaya, told Al-Fassel he witnessed widespread destruction.

"Hizbullah's war has devastated agriculture and wiped out major agricultural investments," he said. "Compensating for this loss -- especially olive trees -- will take years."

"Hizbullah bears responsibility for igniting and engaging in the war," Atallah said.

"The party gives no importance to civilians or to agricultural and tourism sectors," he added. "Hizbullah is accountable for its miscalculations and for the destruction of civilians' livelihoods."

The FAO report puts reconstruction and recovery costs at $263 million, of which $95 million is designated as critical funding for the 2025-2026 season.

The World Bank estimated in March that Lebanon's total reconstruction would cost $11 billion, including $1 billion to repair damaged infrastructure.

The Ministry of Agriculture will provide guidance to ensure the success of the current season, and "compensation for farmers will be part of the reconstruction plan," agriculture minister Nizar Hani told Al-Fassel.

Reconstruction is linked to Hizbullah's disarmament, which is "ongoing and proceeding at measured steps," he said.