israeli agriculture

Despite the decrease in the number of farmers, agriculture still plays a significant role in Israel's economy. Total agricultural domestic product for 1997 accounted for 1.8% of GDP.

Approximately 67,200 people are involved in agriculture. This number represents about 3% of the country's total workforce.

Agriculture is of major national importance, particularly for outlying areas such as the Arava and the Jordan Valley, where agriculture provides the sole means of livelihood for almost the entire population.

Value of Fresh Agricultural Produce (1997)


Branch	Millions of Dollars
Crops
Field crops	319
Vegetables, potatoes and melons	562
Flowers and ornamental plants	295
Citrus	248
Other fruit	478
Miscellaneous	100
Total	2002
Livestock
Poultry	649
Beef and dairy cattle	601
Sheep and goats	81
Fisheries	119
Other livestock	71
Total	1,520
Total	3,522
* Source: Central Bureau of Statistics

In the early 1950s, one full-time agricultural employee fed 17 people. In 1997 one full-time employee fed 95 people.

Agricultural export for 1997 reached over $1.329 billion - approximately 6.4% of the country's total exports.

Some $802 million is fresh produce exported mainly to Western Europe, and approximately $527 million is processed food.

The production of agricultural inputs stands today at over $2.0 billion, most of it destined for export markets. The export of agricultural inputs has increased significantly in recent years.

Export of Fresh Agricultural Produce (1997)


Branch	Millions of Dollars
Field crops	121
Vegetables, potatoes and melons	121
Flowers and ornamental plants	225
Citrus	166
Other fruit	77
Seeds and seedlings	65
Aquaculture	11
Livestock and products	16
Total	802
* Source: Central Bureau of Statistics

Export of Processed Agricultural Produce (1997)


Branch	Millions of Dollars
Meat and fish products	38
Fruit and vegetable products	207
Other	282
Total	527
* Source: Central Bureau of Statistics

Export of Agricultural Inputs (1997 estimate)


Branch	Thousands of Dollars
Irrigation	270
Plastics	57
Livestock feed and supplements	54
Livestock	7
Planning and knowhow	6
Equipment and machinery	51
Seeds, seedlings, and propagation materials	119
Fertilizers	633
Pesticides and herbicides	354
Other	9
Total	1,561
* Source: Israel Export Institute

More than half the area of the country is characterized by an arid and semi-arid climate. A large part of the remainder of the country is hilly and forested. A narrow strip along the coast and several inland valleys represent the country's only fertile areas. Israel's total land area is approximately 21,000 sq.km. while arable land area is only 4,370 sq.km., - about 20% of the total land area. In addition, about half of the cultivated area has to be irrigated due to lack of rainfall and other water resources.

Israel's climate enables it to produce vegetables, fruit and flowers during the winter off-season, particularly for export markets in Europe.

The country's varied climate and seasonal temperatures have stimulated the development of unique agro-technological solutions.

The fact that Israel is located in a hostile region has compelled it to develop its own resources and become self-sufficient in agricultural production. The years following the establishment of the State in 1948 were fraught with difficult economic and social problems. The influx of hundreds of thousands of new immigrants posed a burden on the population of 650,000. Many of these newcomers were settled on the land to work in agriculture.

Much of Israel's agriculture is concentrated in three forms of settlements which developed in the first two decades of this century: The kibbutz, a collective settlement in which the members own the means of production and work for the benefit of all; the moshav, a cooperative settlement of individual family farms which maintains and operates mutual economic and social services; and the moshava, a group of private farmers who organize themselves locally for the marketing of produce and purchase of inputs. These three forms of settlement were originally established by pioneers who regarded them as the fulfillment of their ideal of settling the land. The first two forms - the kibbutz and the moshav - particularly emphasized the ideal of social equality, cooperation and mutual aid. The kibbutz and moshav today account for 79% of the country's fresh agricultural produce.

In addition to the Jewish agricultural sector, Arab farm villages are located mainly in the centre of the country and in the Galilee.

Hundreds of Israeli farmers are engaged in all aspects of bio-organic agriculture. The crops grown include: seeds, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, grapefruit, lettuce and spices. Most of the produce is destined for export, representing 10% of fresh agricultural exports.

Israel - a garden of agricultural opportunity...


	With peak yields of tomatoes reaching 500 tons per hectare
	Where 3 million roses are grown in greenhouses per hectare per season
	With average annual egg production of 280 per layer
	Where annual milk yields per cow reach an average of 10,000 liters
	With peak yields of citrus reaching 80 tons per hectare in Israel's Negev desert
	With 80% of irrigated land utilizing combination irrigation/fertilization techniques
	With unique biotechnologies to improve the nutritional value of wheat grains and parasite-resistant corn strains, etc.