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user wrote I am coming to Lebanon in December 13, I am taking the opportunity to visit some sites and industries, I am interested in greenhouses and hydroponics in Lebanon, lots of realstate is idle, lots of demand for agriculture will come soon(if not already) Syria and Egypt will no longer flood our market with agricultural goods if there is no more USD to be extracted(heh, they don't want our lira, who can blame them?) There is a real risk of a food crisis to follow... But negativity aside, maybe since we are Lebgeeks someone can help me out with some math regarding having a tech oriented greenhouses with solar power and water that runs on timers...
Check Lifelab
Dr Hassan Nasser in telegram channel https://t.me/corruptionrevolutioneconomy have contacts with them.
I am interested also, and if you need any help with electronics & embedded programming (for good cause - free of charge), let me know.
I am visiting one of the greenhouses they have setup in fact(healthy basket is setup by them if I am not mistaken). I do not yet have anything specific in mind, I am visiting greenhouses. I am also thinking of what does it take for us to package fruits and sell them in cans (I buy canned peaches and pear in Canada for 3$ a can, meanwhile in Lebanon the 1 KG is sold for 500 liras, if all it takes is putting it in a can for it to quadruple in value, what is stopping us?) I mostly want information, what do we have and what are we missing, and what challenges the current industries we have face...
user wroteI am visiting one of the greenhouses they have setup in fact(healthy basket is setup by them if I am not mistaken). I do not yet have anything specific in mind, I am visiting greenhouses. I am also thinking of what does it take for us to package fruits and sell them in cans (I buy canned peaches and pear in Canada for 3$ a can, meanwhile in Lebanon the 1 KG is sold for 500 liras, if all it takes is putting it in a can for it to quadruple in value, what is stopping us?) I mostly want information, what do we have and what are we missing, and what challenges the current industries we have face...
Any significant production that match quality standards for export need industrial equipment. IMO it is pricey, and we(Lebanon, geeks, whatever) need to make some knowhow unique to Lebanon as well to compete.
Check for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNgbMe-MsqA
https://youtu.be/KByx0G-wH-U

If you do it just "handmade", you get tons of issues like cheeseballs that are made such way in Lebanon. Each time i try to buy them - they are in oil due to a loose cap, exploding cans, suspicious quality, unreadable text on labels or missing information and etc. You can't export that.

About fundamental research it is something like: https://www.longdom.org/open-access/effect-of-ethephon-and-ethylene-gas-on-ripening-and-quality-of-tomato-solanum-lycopersicum-l-during-cold-storage-2155-9600-1000244.pdf
I can't find fast, but there is researches from one of neighbouring countries (maybe Tunisia) competing on same market, they have universities working for benefit of their agricultural sector.
Baby steps, local markets first. Start small. A lot of the process of packing fruits is human monitored, machines cannot tell the difference between a rotten fruit or a good one yet. The factories you showed are on the really high end, servicing millions of clients in the US. My ideas are more towards the local market, make it cheap enough and it will sell. If we locally package and we sell for 2000 liras a can. I am sure many people will buy for their children in winter... It should also be easy to market to restaurants. You can get quality from human processes, you put a team of quality control, you take it slow at first, it can work.

Funding in this dumb country is of course an issue, and I think they made it difficult on purpose so we can't compete with the already wealthy. In any other normal country you can get subsidized loans for 2% interest or create a company and make a public offering with laws that protect the rights of everyone...
I have a question, what about our money in the banks? If I have $30,000 there will I manage to get them? Or what will happen actually if the banks go bankrupt?
user wroteBaby steps, local markets first. Start small. A lot of the process of packing fruits is human monitored, machines cannot tell the difference between a rotten fruit or a good one yet. The factories you showed are on the really high end, servicing millions of clients in the US. My ideas are more towards the local market, make it cheap enough and it will sell. If we locally package and we sell for 2000 liras a can. I am sure many people will buy for their children in winter... It should also be easy to market to restaurants. You can get quality from human processes, you put a team of quality control, you take it slow at first, it can work.

Funding in this dumb country is of course an issue, and I think they made it difficult on purpose so we can't compete with the already wealthy. In any other normal country you can get subsidized loans for 2% interest or create a company and make a public offering with laws that protect the rights of everyone...
My point is that if you "start small" like this cheese balls, nobody will buy product if quality is inferior.
Add also that there is risk of botulism and some other similar issues if can/product are improperly pasteurized. Doesnt matter how good is quality control, mistakes are possible, if humans involved. You wont be able to QC for this issue, unless you will pay labs exorbitant sums to test each N-th can.
One incident and you can close business and probably go to jail. Restaurants wont take this product just because of this reason, if they care at least about some safety. I dont know about lebanon, but in my country supplying your produce require to pass several certifications, otherwise next inspection might close restaurant, if they show all paperwork.

It might be much smaller scale than on video, but critical processes should be properly automated and done as industry standards require.
The country is collapsing and I need to do something. This sucks... We will see as it unfolds...
we all want to do something but could we? Could the change start from Lebgeeks? Jokes aside, we do have some great potential!
TheIlluminative wroteI have a question, what about our money in the banks? If I have $30,000 there will I manage to get them? Or what will happen actually if the banks go bankrupt?
For the time being, you're not able to withdraw more than $500 a week and up to $300 a day so it's gonna take around 1.5 year.

The banks cannot go bankrupt unless the government does. Their only way out for the time being is a bit difficult to digest but I see it coming :

1- They will convert automatically all incoming money from abroad to LBP
2- They will convert your savings in USD to LBP as a last resort.
NuclearVision wrotewe all want to do something but could we? Could the change start from Lebgeeks? Jokes aside, we do have some great potential!
Each of us have his own expertise in specifics field and its time to share it and cooperate.
Primary targets:
A)Increase export and money brought to country
B)Decrease imports (more efficient consumption, more locally added value to imported products)
C)Help productive businesses grow

My proposals:
1)Make some project(s)/products that will help local businesses grow and compete. Like aforementioned hydroponics can be core technology to grow veggies on relatively small land, most important to make it cheap and accessible. It might be various automation tools, software, some CMS for online shop, and so on...
2)Make some tutorials and videos for people how to live more comfortably (means less stress) and more efficiently (less expenses).
Like how to buy right things (example: how to choose LED lights that wont die early, probably with fire), how to save energy and fuel, how to pick proper solar heater/panels, insulation and how to see if electrician/plumber/car mechanic doing things right or wrong/scamming.
3)Make together some product for export or to reduce import.

Think about your friends and just connections. Ask them what help they need to grow, sometimes people think they need big money, and some IT/tech guy dude know how to do it 1/10 or even 1/100 of cost.

I feel it needs separate thread
Kareem wrote
TheIlluminative wroteI have a question, what about our money in the banks? If I have $30,000 there will I manage to get them? Or what will happen actually if the banks go bankrupt?
For the time being, you're not able to withdraw more than $500 a week and up to $300 a day so it's gonna take around 1.5 year.

The banks cannot go bankrupt unless the government does. Their only way out for the time being is a bit difficult to digest but I see it coming :

1- They will convert automatically all incoming money from abroad to LBP
2- They will convert your savings in USD to LBP as a last resort.
I hope not Kareem. What a disaster if that's true - but I hope not.

I was traveling and I am back now - will go everyday to the bank and get $300 ;)
TheIlluminative wrote I was traveling and I am back now - will go everyday to the bank and get $300 ;)
You mean every week.
Guitaret wrote
TheIlluminative wrote I was traveling and I am back now - will go everyday to the bank and get $300 ;)
You mean every week.
Or per day? I am not sure.

But I read you can open an account in Emirates NBD in UAE and they only need a passport and you don't need to pay taxes. I might do that for my future transactions.

But I am worried about my deposits in the bank now. It's not a lot, but worked so hard for it.
anyone knows how we can open a bank account in Cyprus ?
A friend tweeted that at BLOM they are now only allowing 100 USD per week. :)

Bank Audi: Monthly international and online limit is down to almost 210$ monthly from 3000$ daily
Almost all banks are decreasing the max amount every few weeks.
A month ago, Bank Audi's limit was 1k USD per week, then it decreased to 500 USD per week, and now 300 USD per week.

You can still withdraw LBP from your USD account, but at the 1507 rate.
Banks are forcing us to withdraw LBP so that they keep USD. What kareem says is very likely to happen:
Kareem wrote 1- They will convert automatically all incoming money from abroad to LBP
2- They will convert your savings in USD to LBP as a last resort.
sero wroteAlmost all banks are decreasing the max amount every few weeks.
A month ago, Bank Audi's limit was 1k USD per week, then it decreased to 500 USD per week, and now 300 USD per week.
I did withdraw yesterday from AUDI the amount of 500$, she said the weekly limit is 500$.
Guitaret wroteI did withdraw yesterday from AUDI the amount of 500$, she said the weekly limit is 500$.
You're right.
The 300 USD is now the weekly limit when you're withdrawing from a Branch of Audi that is not your main branch.
Its still 500 if you're withdrawing from your main account branch.
Guitaret wroteSold USD for 1950LL in Jounieh
Which exchange shop?