How produce from the West Bank should be labelled – be it from Israeli-occupied or Palestinian territories – has become a highly controversial issue. Yet the daily obstacles facing Palestinian farmers in the West Bank are probably less well known.
Whether their produce is destined for overseas consumers or for the 4.68 million Palestinians split between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, producers complain of issues including lack of access to water, unfair competition and delays in navigating border checkpoints.
A wide range of fresh produce can easily be grown in the West Bank, including many herbs and vegetables, dates, olives, citrus fruits, grapes, figs, melons and strawberries. However, with Israel and Egypt controlling all borders, Palestinian farmers must work within a fractured supply chain that reduces their competitiveness. Our trucks are not refrigerated because the West Bank is such a small area, so when they are stopped under the sun for long hours the fresh produce inside can lose its quality or even become inedible,” says Mohammad, a farmer of mushrooms and other produce near Qalqilya in the northern West Bank who also complains about the difficulties in importing fertilisers and farming equipment.
“We are surrounded by Israel,” says Mohammad Abu Khizaran, a grower forDaraghmeh Co, which produces herbs year-round in Tubas, a city in the north-east of the West Bank, as part of a USAID-sponsored programme. “Getting through the checkpoints takes time, so forecasting for the future, it is difficult to be accurate.”
No comments:
Post a Comment