The Lebanese Poultry Syndicate announced in a statement today its “absolute rejection of the government’s proposal to set customs duties on imported chicken breast according to Sayrafa’s platform rate.”

It warned that this decision practically means removing customs protection and destroying the poultry sector. The catastrophic consequences of this will lead to the closure of more than 1,000 farms and the loss of half of the workforce in the sector, which means about 10,000 workers out of 20,000.”

The syndicate explained in its statement, “The most prominent and dangerous repercussions of this decision is to raise the price of poultry for people with limited income, especially since importing frozen breasts that constitute 25 percent of the sliced ​​chicken, will lead to an increase in the prices of thighs, wings, and cuts, which constitute 75 percent of the chicken. This is what started to happen as a result of importing frozen chicken breasts into Lebanon.

The syndicate confirmed that “the prices of chicken has dropped rapidly with the decrease in the dollar exchange rate and in the same percentage,” noting that “chicken prices in Lebanon are the lowest among the countries in the region that are taking strict measures to protect this sector, which considers a strategic sector for its food security.”