Italy, UNDP inaugurate olive oil mill in Bakiffa

Tag : Italian Olive Oil
Italy, UNDP inaugurate olive oil mill in Bakiffa

Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 10, 2008

BAKIFFA: The Embassy of Italy in Beirut and the United NationsDevelopment Program (UNDP) inaugurated on Wednesday the newmunicipal olive oil mill in the town Bakiffa, near Rashayya, in thepresence of representatives from the of the Council for Developmentand Reconstruction and of the Bakkifa municipality. The project wasfinanced within the framework of Italy and the UNDP's (ART GOLD)cooperation activities in Lebanon. The initiative, which received atotal contribution of 107,000 euros ($ 168,330), includedrehabilitation of the site carried out directly by the Bakkifamunicipality, installation of the new mill financed by the Embassyof Italy-Development Cooperation Office, and capacity building forolive farmers by UNDP which will start with the new season inSeptember. The rehabilitated structure and new mill are owned bythe municipality and will be managed by a local cooperative. Thenew mill guarantees a much higher capacity, allowing processing ofup to 5,000 kilograms of olives per day compared to the 500kilograms of the old mill, markedly increasing the income offarmers from the region. "We are particularly proud of havingworked on reinforcing this primary service for the area with theactive involvement and contribution of the Bakkifa municipality"said Italian Ambassador Gabriele Checchia. - The Daily Star

Tags: Italy