The Opening of Olive Harvest Season in Gaza

Gaza, MINA – The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday officially opened the olive harvest and milling season in 2022, in the presence of officials, members of the Legislative Council, mayors, several institutions and farmers.

The opening ceremony was accompanied by art performances and stalls stocking local produce, the Middle East Monitor reported.

The participants participated in the opening of the olive harvest. They wear Palestinian keffiyeh and traditional clothes.

This season is used to mark the importance of the olive tree, which represents the Palestinian people and their history, as well as the high nutritional value of the oil extracted from its fruit.

The Ministry of Agriculture said the olive tree expresses Palestinian identity and steadfastness against attempts to rob them of their history and heritage.

This olive season is the best in recent years due to the large production and expansion of cultivated areas, said the Ministry, explaining that the area planted with olives this year is estimated at 43,000 dunams (43 square kilometers), with an average production rate of one ton per dunam.

It is hoped that this increase in yields will enable Gaza’s farmers to meet the needs of the local market, and achieve self-sufficiency in oil and olives.

It is also hoped that some of these products can be exported throughout the Arab world and beyond. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)