On May 25, 2017, veterinary drugs were distributed by Dr.Imad Sawan from the ministry of Agriculture to the farmers in Hima of El Fekha. The Livestock inHima El Fekha are under of the supervision of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon as part of our continuous efforts to implement sustainable grazing.
The feeding of goats and sheep is mainly based on grazing in natural woodlands, pastures and rangelands and to a lesser extent on grazing crop residues and purchased barley and other forage crops.
In addition to the trees, bushes and forbs, several wild legumes, grasses and other herbs are found in the different ecosystems. Highly appreciated by grazing animals, these species have been neglected by farmers because of their low productivity. At the farm level, they are replaced by improved varieties with a higher commercial value. Local species, varieties or strains are better adapted to the local climatic and edaphic conditions, are more resistant to pathogens and insects, and are more resilient to drought, than many of the improved and introduced varieties.
Hima El Fekha was declared on May 6 2013, and it is considered as the 8thHima in Lebanon by SPNL, El Fekhais a biologically diverse site, for it harbors more than 50 bird species, out of which 10 are considered biome-restricted. It is also an extension of the Ras Baalbek Important Bird Area (IBA), as classified by BirdLife International. In addition, this Hima will provide the basis for organizing the grazing system in El Fekha, whereby methods for sustainable grazing will be promoted by SPNL in coordination with the local herders themselves.
