The Palestinian agricultural sector is weak and faces a variety of problems.
The sector has been deteriorating since the beginning of the Intifada.
Large areas of cultivated land were ruined, the OPTs were completely closed, and farmers were denied access to their lands near the settlements.
Many people, including farmers, asked for new ways to allow them to continue cultivating their land.
Face the public brought this issue before the government and NGOs.
attended by 68 persons Key guests Mahmud Abu Samra, General Director, Ministry of Agriculture.
Dr.
Kamal al-Shrafi, PLC member, North Gaza District.
Abdul Karim Ashur, Director of the Union of Agriculture Relief Committees.
Summary of issues raised by the public
The participants, farmers and members of interested groups, talked about the hardships resulting from the bulldozing of large areas of agricultural land and the inability to export their products.
They requested the key speakers to try to provide alternative work opportunities for those who lost their jobs.
A number of them raised questions regarding the export of strawberries.
Summary of answers given by the guest speakers
The key speakers said that the Israelis had caused enormous suffering in the Palestinian agricultural sector.
For instance they had refused to allow Spanish-donated equipment to enter Gaza.
They stressed the importance of cooperation between the executive governmental bodies on the one hand and the farmers and the non-governmental organizations representing them on the other.
They said that the role of the Ministry of Agriculture is purely technical, and that it was designing a plan for emergency employment through contacts with the Ministry of Finance, which promised to provide loans for the juice industry and to lower export taxes from $1,500 per ton to $800 per ton.