WEST BANK: Palestinians complain of higher prices resulting from fallow Jewish land

Record ID: 559918

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinians complain of higher prices resulting from fallow Jewish land
  • Date: 9th October 2007
  • Summary: (MER1) HEBRON, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) FARM LAND WITH TOMATO PLANTS VARIOUS OF FARMERS HARVESTING TOMATOES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN FARMER BAHA'A JABER SAYING: "We have around 10.000 vines, and every vine can give a box of tomatoes. So we produce around 10.000 boxes of tomatoes." VARIOUS OF FARMERS PACKING TOMATOES IN BOXES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN FARMER AND VEGETABLE MERCHANT NAFEZ ZAHDA SAYING: "Regarding the economic situation, well it's good for the farmer because you know the farmer will have a good season only every four or five years. So the farmer needs a good year in order to be able to continue for another four or five years. Hopefully this year will support the farmer so he will be able to go on and provide for the local market." FARMERS PACKING TOMATOES JEWISH MERCHANTS AT FARMS PLACING ORDERS JEWISH MERCHANTS EXAMINING PRODUCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN FARMER AND VEGETABLE MERCHANT NAFEZ ZAHDA SAYING: "They (Israelis) have their farms but they don't eat from them. I am talking about the religious men, they do not eat their produce so we eat it. So we are instead of selling produce, we are exchanging our for theirs. We sell our goods to them and we take their goods from them. This means we are bringing goods to the people with a good price." JEWISH MERCHANTS EXAMINING PRODUCE MORE OF FARM
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Economic News,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA6YVF7Q77LKI7AXTWHBL6YR97E
  • Story Text: Palestinian consumers complain that increased demand for Palestinian agricultural produce as a result of the Jewish New Year falling on a Shmita, or sabbatical year -- when Jewish land must be left fallow -- has meant that prices have become unaffordable for many.
    Palestinian farmers are making record profits this year because of increased demand for their agricultural produce as a result of the Jewish New Year falling on a shmita, or sabbatical year -- when Jewish land must be left fallow.
    At a farm in Hebron, Palestinian farmers are packing harvested tomatoes in crates, many of which are bound for the Israeli market.
    "Well it's good for the farmer because you know the farmer will have a good season only every four or five years. So the farmer needs a good year in order to be able to continue for another four or five years.
    Hopefully, this year (fallow new year) will support the farmer so he will be able to go on and provide for the local market," said Palestinian farmer and merchant Nafez Zahda.
    During a fallow new year, Jewish farmers lease out their lands to non-Jews for one year so that they can continue growing crops on their land and selling kosher produce to the Israeli market.
    "They (Israelis) have their farms but they don't eat from them. I am talking about the religious men, they do not eat their produce so we eat it. So we are instead of selling produce, we are exchanging our for theirs. We sell our goods to them and we take their goods from them. This means we are bringing goods to the people with a good price," explains Zahda.
    However, many Palestinian at a market in Hebron disagree with Zahda and claim that the fallow new year has resulted in an increase in prices and a decrease in the quality of agricultural produce.
    "The prices are definitely higher and they are unnaturally high, especially for certain things such a tomatoes. We heard that the Israelis took large quantities of tomatoes from Arab farmers and they took the good quality tomatoes. However in our markets, we have been given the low quality tomatoes and on top of this, the prices are also higher. So they have taken large quantities and left the Palestinian consumer, who is also facing a difficult economic situation, with higher prices," says Palestinian fruit and vegetable merchant Ghaleb Abu Sneineh, who owns a shop in Hebron.
    Israel imports from the West Bank or buys produce grown on land genuinely owned by Arab-Israeli and Druze farmers during hallow new years.
    Territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war, makeup some of the most productive fruit and vegetable growing areas which is the focus of the Israelis during the fallow year.
    In past, Shmita years they relied on produce from the settlement of Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip which, although Jewish, was not on land defined as Israel by the fallow ruling. Since the settlement was evacuated in August 2005 their only option this year is to get their fruit and vegetables from non-Jewish farmers.

    AGRICULTURE FARMS FARMING
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