Fruits Info

DOHA - Fruits and vegetables from Lebanon has stopped coming in the Qatari market, making fresh production from the Levant and neighboring countries, dearer by about five percent over the last few days. Prices were though expected to stabilize and return to pre-conflict levels as importers in Qatar would struggle to buffer the shortfall with produce from Jordan and Syria, enquiries in the local market yesterday, revealed.

Speaking to The Peninsula yesterday, Khalid Al Alami, General Manager, Dasman Hypermarkets, said: "Qatari importers had the largest trade of fruits and vegetables with Lebanon. Currently, no fresh produce from Lebanon is arriving in Qatar and whatever stocks importers and retailers had, were sold out about three days ago. There are no aircraft bringing in fruits and vegetables from Lebanon since the countries only airport, Beirut, was bombed by the Israelis and trucks are also unable to bring such produce to Qatar since their movement from the Lebanese border is restricted," he explained. Border checkpoints in Lebanon, it was learnt, was according top priority to passenger cars and buses carrying tourists and others fleeing the conflict zone. Khalid said, the chief imports from Lebanon incorporated summer fruits and seasonal vegetables.