ISRAELI BLOKADE BADLY HARMS GAZA FARMING
Gaza, 2 Rabi’ul Awwal 1436/24 December 2014 (MINA) – The ongoing Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has inflicted heavy losses on the economy of the Palestinian territory, with the agricultural sector of the coastal enclave having been badly affected, Press TV reports.
Growing crops in Gaza has turned into an expensive process as a result of the Israeli siege, wars, and recently, the Israeli economic war against Palestinian farmers.
Palestinian farmers are facing huge challenges in order to sell their crops, especially in the overseas markets. Press Tv quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
“Growing strawberries became hugely expensive after the blockade. The closure of borders makes us suffer as we can’t export products to Europe. This will force us to sell it in the local markets with extremely low prices,” a Palestinian farmer told Press TV.
The Israeli regime has imposed tough policies on Gaza farms, especially those located close to the border lines, which have the most fertile soil in the enclave.
“Transportation of crops is expensive, in addition to the borders’ restrictions. For example, the inspection devices in the Israeli borders are 120 centimeters high. This makes Palestinian farmers’ exports fewer in quantities,” said Mousa Jadba from the Union of Agricultural Works Committees (UAWC), a non-profit organization that tries to improve the performance of Palestinian farmers.
In its latest war on Gaza, Israel started pounding the enclave in early July, inflicting heavy losses on the Palestinian land. Almost 2,140 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in the Israeli onslaught. Around 11,000 others were injured.
The Israeli war ended on August 26 with an Egyptian-brokered truce, which took effect after negotiations in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The deal stipulates the ease of Israel’s seven-year-old blockade as well as the provision of a guarantee that Palestinian demands will be met. (T/P007/R03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
