Over three intensive field days, from November 13 to 15, 2025, a team of experts, including the director of the Kfardan station, four experts from ACSAD, and the technical coordinator of cooperation between the ministry and ACSAD, Dr. “Faten Raad,” planted 2,500 pads of smooth cactus in a model station aimed at producing healthy and certified mothers to form a nucleus for expansion in this cultivation.
This project aims to embody the vision of the Ministry of Agriculture in supporting crops that can adapt to climate changes, especially smooth cactus, which is characterized by its ability to withstand drought and its low need for water, in addition to its high nutritional value and its diverse potential in the food, cosmetic, and feed industries.
The establishment of the mother field in Kfardan seeks to achieve several strategic objectives, including:
• Providing a reliable source for the propagation of smooth cactus in Lebanon.
• Supporting farmers with an alternative cultivation with high economic feasibility.
• Contributing to enhancing food security by introducing crops that adapt to harsh climatic conditions.
• Establishing sustainable scientific and technical cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and “ACSAD.”
The project is expected to represent an important step towards including smooth cactus among the future strategic complementary crops in Lebanon, within the framework of the ministry’s policy aimed at strengthening the resilience of the agricultural sector in the face of climate change challenges and providing new development opportunities for farmers.
