Name of project Smallholder Livestock Rehabilitation Project Location of project Bekaa Mohafazat province Responsible organization International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Cofinanced by the OPEC Fund for International Development
Portrait of a project beneficiary in Balrelis IFAD Photo by Jon Spaull

Description

Fifteen years of civil war plunged the Lebanese economy into depression. Construction and manufacturing subsided during the war. Lebanon, the main exporter of vegetables and fruit to its Middle East neighbours, suffered major losses. The total amount of cultivated land decreased because of the hyper-inflationary cost of imported inputs such as fertilizers. Sugar beet production came to a standstill with the destruction of the sugar factories. The civil war damaged the livestock sector, affecting badly the small livestock holders, including rural women, whose income came mainly from this activity.

In 1993, IFAD approved the Smallholder Livestock Rehabilitation Project, as a means to rehabilitate the livestock sector by assisting the Government to substitute some of the animals lost. The project area is the Bekaa Mohafazat, which has the best agricultural potential in the country. The project targets small livestock holders –approximately 8,500 families. The Fund’s assistance includes gradual replacement of the existing stock with improved breeds, and strengthening animal health services in order to increase milk production, thus reducing dependency on imported milk.

The project is focusing on the role of women. There are no official barriers for women to own land in their own right. Wives of migrant husbands may become the main decision-makers on the farm. Nonetheless, in some cases progress for rural women is hampered by the lack of training or adequate opportunities. Moreover, some are landless with no access to credit. In this context, NGOs contribute significantly, as they provide know-how, credit, training and practical courses for income-generating activities.

Results achieved

• The project has gained a lot of momentum towards meeting its objectives. The Government of Lebanon has issued a decree for the extension of project activities until the end of 2004, which will help ensure the sustainability of the project.

Lessons Learned

While the recovery rate on loans to rural women is as high as 97%, the average recovery rate on the lamb fattening and purchase of cows is around 60% only. This low rate is due to the unfavourable conditions (drought season), pushing farmers to seek debt rescheduling. Because of the high loan recovery rate on the rural women-oriented credit, the Revolving Fund is now fully operational. Thanks to the assistance and follow-up provided by the NGO YMCA on a contractual basis, it should be easily replicated elsewhere.

IN THE WORDS OF OUR CLIENTS

The interviews were conducted in February 2000 by the BBC World Service Radio.

Human Stories

• Walid Sabah, a farmer, runs the Zahle cattle cooperative. He’s teamed up with 14 other local men to make more of the resources they have. The factional fights were intense and 70% of the local livestock were destroyed. The project gave them a loan of nine cows; they were able to add ten more, some imported from France. ''We put the cows here and after one year we have a new-born and also a good production of milk. When a cow produces 50 liters of milk per day, we consider it a very good average. Now we are satisfied because we have a good production. The project has helped us to revive our livelihoods.''

• In the words of Ali Hussein Ayash, another farmer from Zahle: ''After my 12 cows were killed during the fighting, we had nothing at home. Our situation was miserable. Now we received some cows from the project as a loan. When I call the project unit, they always send me a doctor or an agriculture engineer immediately, especially for vaccinations. The project provides me with all the services I need: veterinarians, vaccinations, artificial insemination, and extension. These services are provided without any charge.''

• Adnan Hawry runs a cooperative that has 80 members. He explains how the cooperative has become central to the project’s aim to promote income-generating activities for local people, particularly for women. ''We sell bread in bags of fifteen pieces, 20% cheaper than the local market price. The locals love it. Women are members of the cooperative. They are paid 2,000 Lebanese pounds (approximately US$ 1.25) for each hour of work. The cooperative keeps the 10% to develop and re-invest and the rest is distributed to the women according to the number of hours worked. The products vary: mint, water from flowers, medical herbs, wine, arak, apricot, cherry and aubergine compotes, and honey.''

• Salam Chidid Hanna describes her experience: ''I joined when the cooperative was first set up nine months ago. During the war, we had nothing to do and since some people here had the idea of forming a cooperative, I decided to join them. I am very happy because it gives me the opportunity to have work and also to meet other women. I did a training course for an NGO called YMCA for three months, three times daily. When the cooperative started, I could apply what I had learnt, such as the techniques for different products. There were seven women in this training, and afterwards we trained the other women of the cooperative.''

IFAD Operations in Lebanon | IFAD Through Photography - Lebanon