The farmers’ cooperative of Deir El Ahmar provides invaluable support to the farming community in this picturesque corner of the Bekaa valley. It offers training on disease prevention and beekeeping – a lucrative source of income if properly managed. It coordinates with salient ministries on behalf of its 120 members, and also, along with the UNDP, assists with water management for farmers.
In 2001, the cooperative also built a storage and refrigeration facility. In the main, it stores apples that have been picked from nearby hills as well as potatoes and potato seeds. At least sixty people work here, and this number increases when more packaging is required. But for farmers to fulfill the potential that their work offers, this storage facility needs to be extended. At present, too much of the produce goes to waste because there is not adequate refrigeration.
The cooperative would like to extend the facility by building a refrigeration unit, at 655 m3. They also have plans for a purpose-built packaging centre, at 12,000 m2, as all packaging is undertaken inside the current facility, which lacks adequate space.
Both will see an increase in farmers’ profits and considerably improve the standard of living for them and their families. It will also lead to job creation at the facility, and on the farms themselves, as farmers will have greater incentive to produce more. Finally, with the prospect of more work, it will encourage young people to stay in the area and help maintain the delicate social fabric of the region.