Beirut, Nov 29 (Prensa Latina) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today encourages in Lebanon the use of sustainable practices to obtain better productive yields and control pests.
In collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, FAO encourages potato farmers to use less chemical fertilizers and pesticides, in order to properly manage their land, increase yields and conserve water.
Funded by the Norwegian government and the World Bank, the initiative seeks to reduce the pollution of the Litani River and Lake Qaraoun by agrochemicals by introducing and promoting good agricultural practices among farmers.
According to the FAO office in Beirut, during the months of October and November, a series of seminars were held to share the results of the pilot plots with farmers, with an emphasis on reducing excess fertilizers and optimizing the use of chemical pesticides.
In this sense, the producers responded positively to the results and shared numerous questions about the volume of irrigation, post-harvest practices, fertilization, pest management and efficient application of pesticides, among other topics.
Most farmers agree on the need to switch to a more environmentally sustainable and economically viable approach to growing potatoes, the FAO said.
Apart from the training, the United Nations entity also shared good agricultural practices for potatoes from land preparation, seed selection and sowing to harvest.
In recent years, FAO’s support to Lebanon focuses on productive development at the rural level, resilience and sustainable management of natural resources for food security.
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