Palestine: Agriculture in Gaza amid the imposed siege
The agricultural sector in Gaza is being exposed to many forms of attacks by Israeli forces like targeting fruit trees and sweeping most of the agricultural land, which leads to converting the lands from producer and exporter to consumer and importer of Israeli products.
Gaza Strip is characterized by fertile farmlands and a suitable weather for agriculture and the abundance of irrigation water with an area of agricultural lands of about 5931 acres, what make the sector self-sufficient in agricultural products, as well as contributing in the economic growth through the export of products, but the Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip prevents it. As it targets farmlands, water wells and fruit trees.
Gazan farmers are trying to increase the export ratio to outside the sector to improve their situation, there are several agreements to allow them to export agricultural products, however, these rates are still very low compared to production quantities, what makes the prices of vegetables very low in the markets in light of the large number of production and and the increasing of supply and the high prices of fertilizers and agricultural materials.
Israel’s war on Gaza targeted about 345.00 agricultural acres and destroyed more than 240 water wells and resulted in the disruption of irrigation systems as well as livestock and fish deaths, sector losses reached during the war in 2014 about $ 550 million spread over the agricultural sector in all segments and left the farmer an opportunity to export only few types Vegetables.
It is noteworthy that Gaza Strip is witnessing a strict blockade and repeated assaults since 2006 and the acceleration of events increased in the recent years, what affected the economic sector and prevented it from growing.
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