Agriculture: Implementation of 691 Projects and Agreements Worth One Billion Shekels Over Two Years

Ramallah - Afaq News - The Ministry of Agriculture stated that 691 projects and agreements to support the agricultural sector, with a total value of about one billion shekels, have been implemented over two years, in cooperation with national institutions and international partners, aimed at protecting the land, enhancing the resilience of farmers, supporting production and investment, and responding to emergencies.

This came during a press conference held by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government Communication Center today, Monday, to highlight the ministry's key interventions during two years of government work, from April 2024 to April 2026, in various fields of agricultural work.

Agriculture Minister Rizq Salimiyah stated that the ministry, under the directives of the Prime Minister, has worked to enhance farmers' ability to continue production despite difficult economic and field conditions, contributing to the protection of food and water security and strengthening the agricultural sector's ability to face challenges.

Natural Resource Management and Infrastructure

Salimiyah explained that the ministry and its partners implemented projects to develop water sources and agricultural infrastructure, which contributed to providing about 3.4 million cubic meters of irrigation water, through water harvesting projects, groundwater wells, reservoirs, and irrigation networks, in addition to implementing about 29.6 kilometers of water transmission lines and 50 kilometers of sub-networks.

He pointed out the reclamation of about 1,924 dunams of agricultural land and its rehabilitation, and the implementation of about 198 kilometers of agricultural roads, including 140 kilometers using the ministry's machinery, in addition to the construction of retaining walls covering an area of approximately 35,000 square meters.

Two water desalination units were also implemented, and five agricultural wells powered by solar energy were established with a total capacity of about 182 kilowatts and equipped accordingly.

As part of enhancing vegetation cover, the ministry and its partners provided about 800,000 forestry and pasture seedlings, and 33,000 fruit seedlings of olives, almonds, and grapes, in addition to thousands of improved vegetable seedlings and the establishment of dozens of home gardens.

Support was also provided for the cultivation of about 7,000 dunams for nearly 2,500 farmers and their rehabilitation, through incentive grants of $200 per dunam, and the provision of about 4,000 tons of drought-resistant fodder seeds for about 13,595 livestock breeders, in addition to 71 tons of improved potato seeds.

Emergency response for farmers and livestock breeders.

In light of the challenges and attacks by the occupation and its settlers, the ministry and its partners implemented emergency response programs that included providing more than 19,000 tons of free fodder to about 15,000 farmers and breeders, and distributing approximately 31,100 three-year-old olive seedlings.

The response also included providing 250 large bales of straw, about 1,430 tents and canopies, nearly 1,600 plastic water tanks, in addition to production and food processing supplies, dairy needs, veterinary supplies, greenhouse materials, and olive pruning and harvesting.

In the Gaza Strip, 18 emergency agricultural relief projects were implemented in cooperation with partners, which included providing fodder, seedlings, seeds, potato seeds, production inputs, rehabilitating greenhouses, and creating gardens and irrigation networks.

The ministry also provided more than 1.4 million doses of free and subsidized veterinary vaccines, as part of prevention and vaccination programs against epidemic and infectious animal diseases, and conducted field campaigns for vaccination and tagging in various governorates.

Agricultural investment and insurance.

In the field of investment, Salimiyah stated that approximately 300 investment support agreements were signed and implemented under the "MAP II" program, along with the rehabilitation of three public agricultural markets in the governorates of Tulkarem, Nablus, and Bethlehem, and work is underway to implement about 100 additional projects.

The agricultural sector also benefited from around 370 projects under the agricultural aid program funded by the European Union, while the ministry is working on preparing about 510 developmental projects to be ready for implementation before the end of the year.

He pointed out the implementation of a national agricultural insurance experiment that included 333 farmers and breeders, with an insurance coverage value of approximately 16.5 million euros, while the compensation amounted to about 86,000 euros, with support for insurance premiums at a rate of 60%.

Developing services and access to markets

In the field of developing agricultural and animal services, the ministry provided six advanced electronic milking units for sheep, benefiting about 1,200 farmers and breeders, in addition to enhancing the monitoring system for agricultural and animal production inputs and products.

In the field of agricultural trade, the ministry issued more than 4,500 phytosanitary certificates, which contributed to facilitating the export of Palestinian agricultural products to foreign markets. The exports included about 16,800 tons of Medjool dates, 3,800 tons of olive oil, nearly 2,000 tons of avocados, and 630 tons of fresh herbs.

The ministry also carried out more than 1,100 regulatory and supervisory rounds that included veterinary products, pesticides, nurseries, and olive oil presses, aiming to enhance the quality of agricultural inputs and products and protect consumer and producer health.

Enhancing institutional and field presence

At the institutional level, the ministry worked to expand its field presence by opening several agricultural and veterinary offices and departments and operating them, especially in areas classified as (C), which enhances the access of government services to farmers and livestock breeders.

The development process included the establishment of a modern veterinary services laboratory in Jenin Governorate and its equipping, as well as enhancing veterinary services in northern Hebron, in addition to developing the work system in institutions and entities related to the agricultural sector.

The ministry also strengthened the governance of the Risk Mitigation and Agricultural Insurance Fund, organized the work of the Palestinian Agricultural Credit Institution, developed mechanisms for managing agricultural quotas and estimating date palm productivity, and enhanced operations in the Jordanian-Palestinian Company for Marketing Agricultural Products.

It pointed out the preparation of the first guide for agricultural pesticides, the review of legislation and laws regulating the agricultural sector, the strengthening of partnerships with the Union of Agricultural Engineers and the Union of Veterinarians, and the development of the grant and training system and international relations.

The next phase

The Minister of Agriculture confirmed that what has been achieved over the past two years represents part of a continuous path to develop the agricultural sector and enhance its resilience and response to crises, emphasizing that protecting the land, supporting farmers, enhancing national production, and protecting natural resources are fundamental principles in the ministry's work.

He added that the next phase will focus on expanding investment in agricultural and water infrastructure, enhancing production and productivity, developing veterinary and agricultural services, expanding insurance and risk management programs, improving marketing and export opportunities, and strengthening national and international partnerships, contributing to the protection of food and water security and enhancing the resilience of the agricultural sector.