September 19, 2007

U.S. Ambassador Visits ASAIL’s Zahle Pilot-Product Development Plant

On September 19, U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman toured the new Zahle pilot-product development plant built by ACDI/VOCA's Action for Sustainable Agro-Industry in Lebanon (ASAIL) project. ASAIL is a two-year $6.9 million program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

ACDI/VOCA-Lebanon Country Representative Noubia Gribi and Deputy Chief of Party Imad Hamze led the tour that included USAID General Development Officer Stephen Herbaly and other USAID and U.S. Embassy officials. The plant’s president, who is also president of the Beqa’a Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Edmond Jureissati, accompanied the group.

The ASAIL team and Jureissati pointed out the plant’s modern equipment and described the myriad of technical services available to small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) for processing, packaging or testing fruits, vegetables and dairy products. The plant’s high tech capabilities enable SMEs, including many cooperatives, to develop new products to increase their competitiveness in both domestic and export markets.

The visitors met with beneficiaries who are currently using the Zahle plant to develop new products and packaging. One was busy working on the development of thick cream to be packed into plastic containers. Elsewhere, panelists tasted samples of date jam prepared by a group of six beneficiaries. Feltman tasted and admired some of the products developed by the pilot plant, in particular the dried tomatoes.

Jureissati warmly thanked the ambassador for his visit and lauded the local chamber of commerce for its contributions, including land, design, construction, standby generator and rent of an adjacent site. He also thanked the American people for their contribution and ACDI/VOCA’s carrying out the construction in collaboration with Vitech.

For more information on ASAIL, click here.