Amid the accumulating economic crises, the poultry industry faces an increasing existential threat due to unfair import policies.

The large gap between the specifications and quality of Lebanese chicken products and imported ones is no longer just a matter of commercial competition but has turned into a real crisis. This is especially true as processed chicken from some Arab countries continues to enter the Lebanese market duty-free, even though it is originally made from chicken imported from outside the Arab region.
Full customs duties are imposed on local products, putting Lebanese producers at a disadvantage and reducing their ability to survive. These discriminatory policies, lacking fair standards, not only threaten the quality of what is offered to consumers but also strike at one of the country’s key sources of food security and employment. The number of jobs directly and indirectly linked to the poultry sector is estimated at around 36,000.
The President of the Lebanese Poultry Syndicate, William Boutros, complains that the sector faces significant and unequal competition in Lebanon. He told An-Nidaa Al-Watan that the problem stems from “large quantities of Turkish chicken breast entering Lebanon through Syria illegally.” Boutros describes this situation as “very harmful due to its negative impact on national production,” while emphasizing that “there are significant differences in quality between Lebanese and foreign chicken products.”
He also revealed that “processed chicken entering Lebanon from some Arab countries is exempt from customs duties, even though it is mainly made from imported non-Arab chicken, whereas Lebanese processed chicken is subject to customs fees.”

36,000 Jobs at Risk
Regarding the desired solution, Boutros believes that “imposing duties on these imported products is essential.” He explained that this is of utmost importance to preserve the 36,000 jobs—both direct and indirect—and to protect food security in Lebanon.
He stresses that “this unfair competition poses a threat to the survival of the sector and endangers one of the fundamental pillars of food security in Lebanon.”
Finally, Boutros touched on the local market, noting that “demand for poultry products in the local market remains good,” and that “poultry prices in the Lebanese market are considered acceptable.”

Source: www.laboraonline.com, via An-Nidaa Al-Watan