In a step that reflects escalating concerns over food safety, the Ministry of Agriculture referred an official notification to the discriminatory Public Prosecution regarding the circulation of smuggled and unregistered agricultural pesticides in local markets, in clear violation of applicable laws.
The Ministry explained in a statement that this step comes as part of its ongoing efforts to protect the agricultural sector and ensure the safety of food production, noting that it has received information indicating that a party called “Sonic Agricultural Foundation” is promoting and selling banned and unregistered pesticides, suspected of originating in Syrian lands, and being marketed in irregular ways to farmers.
She pointed out that these materials are delivered in unmarked packages or devoid of identifying labels, which prevents knowledge of their components or the extent of their compliance with approved standards. They are also distributed through a delivery company called “TopSpeed” in Beirut, which complicates tracking and accountability operations.
The Ministry stressed that these practices constitute a direct threat to the agricultural sector, as they may cause damage to crops and dangerous repercussions on the health of consumers and the environment, in addition to their negative repercussions on the reputation of Lebanese agricultural products.
In this context, the Minister of Agriculture, Nizar Hani, asked the Cassation Public Prosecution to take the necessary legal measures against violators, and to work to stop these illegal activities, to protect farmers and consumers.
Hani also thanked the Public Prosecutor of Cassation, Judge Ahmed Rami Al-Hajj, for his quick response to the news, pointing out that this initiative came on his first working day after his appointment, and before he was sworn in, which reflects his keenness to follow up on issues related to the public interest.
The Ministry stressed its continued intensification of control over agricultural inputs, calling on farmers to commit to using only registered and approved pesticides, and to report any violations in order to preserve the safety of agricultural production and the health of citizens.
