Israels Agriculture

Ministry of Industry,
Trade & Labor
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Agriculture &
Rural Development
In cooperation with:
29 Hamered St., Tel Aviv 68125, Israel, Tel: +972-3-514-2830, Fax: +972-3-514-2902, www.export.gov.il
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Honored Guests from Overseas and Israel,
Though small in size, Israel's agricultural sector is vibrant and highly advanced. Over the last
two decades, it has undergone a substantial structural change, during which the number of
farms and self-employed farmers has significantly decreased, while the farms themselves
have become much larger and more efficient. Farmers in Israel today are better equipped
with highly developed entrepreneurial skills and the managerial abilities required for coping
with the changing, dynamic world of modern agriculture.
The success story of Israel's agriculture can be attributed in large measure to the Israeli
farmers' responsiveness and willingness to introduce innovations, know-how and technological
transfers. In doing so, the farmers cooperate closely with research and development experts,
extension advisers and agro-technology companies. Israel's agricultural sector serves as
an excellent laboratory for the development of new agro-technologies, which are then
disseminated around the world for the benefit of all.
The structural change undergone by our agricultural sector has a broader scope: the
adoption of a comprehensive approach to rural development, in which fresh food production
the backbone of rural life and livelihood everywhere has leveraged a much larger set
of economic activities, such as food processing and packaging, other industrial projects,
various services and agro-tourism.
The name and essence of Israels Ministry of Agriculture was altered in the 1990s to the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development" while prioritizing environmentally-friendly
agriculture, rural development and food production. The consequent policies pertaining to
the rural population comprise professional assistance and beneficial incentives aimed at
developing infrastructure and services.
Dear visitor from abroad, during your stay with us for a little while in our beautiful, exciting
country, I would like you to know that my Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,
along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour, as
well as the entire agro-technology sector of Israel, have all shouldered together to provide
you with maximum exposure to the best that Israel has to offer in the field of agriculture
and agro-technologies.
Sincerely yours,
Hon. Mrs. Orit Noked
Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development
Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development
Acknowledgements
Chapter Subject Writer Title
Israels Agriculture at a
Glance
Dr. Arie Regev
Director of Foreign Relations
Department, Foreign Trade Center,
MOAG
The Ministry and the
Farmer
Dafna Yurista Spokeswoman, MOAG
Agricultural Engineering Dr. Samuel Gan-Mor
Head of the Institute of Agricultural
Engineering, ARO
Greenhouses Roni Amir
Head of Mechanization & Technology
Division, Extension Service, MOAG
Post-Harvest
Technologies
Prof. Elazar Fallik
Head of Institute of Technology &
Storage of Agricultural Products,
ARO
Water & Irrigation Asher Azenkot
Head of Soil and Water Management
Department, Extension Service,
MOAG
Fertilizers & Fertigation Asher Azenkot
Head of Soil and Water Management
Department, Extension Service,
MOAG
Plant Protection Dr. Shmuel Gross
Head of Plant Protection Division,
Extension Service, MOAG
Seeds Dr. Eyal A. Vardi CEO, OriGene Seeds LTD
Research & Development Prof. Ada Rafaeli
Associate Director for Academic
Affairs & International Cooperation,
ARO
Agricultural Extension
Service
Omar Zaidan
Deputy Director R&D, Extension
Service, MOAG
Agriculture in the Arid
Zone
Alon Gadiel
Director of Central & Northern Arava
R&D, MOAG
Rural Development
Trends and Challenges
Eng. Ruti From-Arica
Head of Rural Planning Authority,
MOAG
International Agricultural
Cooperation
Ofer Sachs
Director, The Center for International
Agricultural Development
Cooperation
Biotechnology Prof. Itamar Glazer Head of Plant Sciences Institute, ARO
Plant Gene Bank Dr. Lea Mazor
Head of Israel Plant Gene Bank,
Institute of Plant Sciences, ARO
Vegetables Shimshon Omer
Director of Vegetables & Field Crops
Department, Extension Service,
MOAG
Field Crops Ofer Goren
Director of Field Crops Division,
Extension Service, MOAG
Fruit Dr. Joseph Greenberg
Head of Fruit Division, Extension
Service, MOAG
Citrus Tal Amit
Plant Production and Marketing
Board, Citrus Division
Organic Farming Dr. Ornit Raz
CEO, Israel Bio-Organic Agriculture
Association
Floriculture Dr. Eliezer Spiegel
Head of Floriculture Division,
Extension Service, MOAG
Dairy Cattle Dr. Gaby Adin
Head of Cattle Husbandry
Department, Extension Service,
MOAG
Poultry Navot Haklay
Head of Poultry Division, Extension
Service, MOAG
Aquaculture Yitzhak Simon
Head of Aquaculture Division,
Extension Service, MOAG
Beekeeping Haim Efrat
Head of Beekeeping Division,
Extension Service, MOAG
Sheep and Goats Dorit Kababya
Head of Sheep & Goats Department,
Extension Service, MOAG
The Israel Export
International Cooperation
Institute
Yitzhak Kiriati
Director Agro-Technology, Water &
Environment Department, IEICI
The Editorial Board
Dr. Arie Regev, Director
Smadar Moisa, Deputy Director
Foreign Relations Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (MOAG)

Yitzhak Kiriati, Director
Department of Agro-Technology,
Water & Environment Department
The Israel Export International
Cooperation Institute (IEICI)
Editorial in Chief
Smadar Moisa
For Further Information:
Dr. Arie Regev
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
P.O.B. 30
Beit Dagan, 50250, Israel
Tel: 972-3-9485561
Fax: 972-3-9485870
E-mail: regeva@moag.gov.il
Mr. Yitzhak Kiriati
The Israel Export International
Cooperation Institute
29 Hamered St.
Tel-Aviv 68125, Israel
Tel: 972-3-5142868
Fax: 972-3-5142881
E-mail: kiriati@export.gov.il
We would like to thank
Mr. Rafi Sternlicht for the
statistical data, to the
co-writers who were not
mentioned, to the experts
and colleagues who
donated photos for this
publication.
8
Israels Agriculture at a Glance
Introduction
Israels agricultural sector is characterized
by intensive production resulting from the
need to overcome a scarcity of natural
resources, par ticularly water. The high
standard of development in the sector can
be attributed to close cooperation and
interaction between scientists, extension
ser vices, farmers, and agro-industries.
These four elements have joined together
to transform agriculture in Israel into an
industry that is globally renowned for its
effciency and productivity, in a country
where more than half of the land is classifed
as desert land.
Despite a steady decline in number of
self-employed farmers over last three
decades and agricultures limited contribution
to the GDP, agriculture plays a vital role
as the major food supplier in the local
market, and is also a signifcant factor in
Israeli exports. Total agricultural produce
in 2010 accounted for 1.9% of GDP. Some
64,000 people were directly employed in
agriculture in 2010 (one third self-employed,
the rest hired labor), representing 2.0% of
the countrys total labor force.
In the early 1950s, one full-time agricultural
worker supplied food for 17 people; by
2010 that fgure had risen to 113.
Exports
In 2010, agricultural exports (fresh and
processed) amounted to $2.130 billion,
or 4.2% of the countrys total exports. Fresh
produce exports totaled $1.33 billion, mainly
to the European Union, while processed
food expor ts totaled $798 million. In
addition, a total of $2.87 billion of agricultural
inputs (production factors, technologies,
services) were also exported in 2010. This
fgure is the product of an advanced agro-
technology sector that has made good use of
the innovative and problem solving nature of
Israeli agriculture. The hands-on experience
of the agro-technology industry in local
agriculture, which has served as a kind of
national development laboratory for the
industry, paved the way for a large array of
practical and economic solutions for Israeli
agriculture as well as for the agriculture of
many countries worldwide.
Climate and Topography
Israels has a total land area of 21,000 km2,
of which only 4,100 km2, or 20%, is arable
land. Over half the country is characterized
as arid or semi-arid, and much of Israel
is hilly. A narrow coastal strip and several
inland valleys provide most of the fertile
areas, where irrigation is made possible
by water supplied from aquifers and from
the Sea of Galilee. Israels climate, together
with extensive greenhouse production,
enables cultivation of vegetables, fruit and
cut fowers during the winter off-season,
primarily for export to European markets.
Water constraints and a varied climate have
stimulated the development of unique agro-
technologies of a high standard, compliant
with the latest international production and
food-safety regulations.
Farming Communities
Over 80% of Israels agriculture is based on
cooperative communities (the kibbutz and
the Moshav), living on nationally owned land
under a long-term renewable 49-year lease.
Some of these communities date back to
the early 20th century. The kibbutz (based
on the Hebrew word for group) is a rural
community generally comprising several
hundred inhabitants involved in cooperative
production ranging from 300 to 700 hectare
each; the major economic activities are
agricultural production, industry, agro-tourism
and services. Kibbutz members jointly own
the means of production and share in the
social, cultural, and economic activities. Over
the years, the share of agriculture in the
economy of the Kibbutz has declined, and
today most kibbutz income derives from
non-agricultural activities. Furthermore,
over the past two decades, the kibbutz
has undergone socio-economic reforms,
with most economic activity and household
ownership now partially privatized.
The other major cooperative community,
the Moshav, comprises 50 to 120 individual
family farm units, which like the kibbutz, is
defned as an agricultural cooperative and
registered as such in the Register of National
Cooperatives. The Moshav is based on the
shared allocation of resources to family
Contents
Israels Agriculture at a Glance 8-9
The Ministry and the Farmer 10-11
Agricultural Engineering 12-13
Greenhouses 14-15
Post-Harvest Technologies in the
21st Century
16-17
Water and Irrigation 18-19
Fertilizers and Fertigation 20-21
Plant Protection 22-23
Seeds 24-25
Research and Development 26-27
Agricultural Extension Service 28-29
Agriculture in the Arid Zone 30-31
Rural Development Trends and
Challenges
32-33
International Agricultural
Cooperation
34-35
Biotechnology 36-37
Plant Gene Bank 38-39
Vegetables 40-41
Field Crops 42-43
Fruit 44-45
Citrus 46-47
Organic Agriculture 48-49
Floriculture 50-51
Dairy Cattle 52-53
Poultry 54-55
Aquaculture 56-57
Beekeeping 58-59
Sheep and Goats 60-61
The Israel Export and
International Cooperation
Institute
62-63
Acknowledgments 64
9
Israels Agriculture at a Glance
farms, such as farmland, water quotas, and
other production inputs. The residents in
both major types of cooperatives (Kibbutz
and Moshav) are provided with a package
of municipal services.
A third type of farming community is the
non-cooperative Moshava, a community
of farmers who mostly live on privately
owned land. Some Moshava farmers have
organized themselves to share in common
economic activities in order to provide the
services needed for farm production, such
as packinghouses, wineries, etc.
Non-cooperative farms in Israel also include
Arab farmers located in rural Arab villages.
These farmers focus mainly on livestock
(sheep and goats), vegetables, feld crops
and olives. Many of them employ modern
agricultural technology, such as controlled
greenhouses.
The overall number of rural farming
communities in Israel rose from 769 in
1961 to 952 in 2010.
Rural Development
Israels rural sector is frmly integrated
into the national reality and has developed
signifcantly over the past two decades.
Rural areas now provide a large variety
of attractions due to their rich history,
archeology, heritage and culture, combined
with scenic landscapes and agricultural sites.
Rural areas offer a unique tourist experience
and tailored packages combining sightseeing,
relaxation, sea and desert adventures, and
an introduction to some of the most
innovative agriculture in the world. Such
agro-tourism combines the best of both
worlds, agriculture and tourism, and offers
rural communities a larger range of sources
of livelihood.
The proportion of the rural population out of
the national total declined from 15.5% in the
early 1960s to 8.4% in 2010, while the share
of rural areas in the labor force stood at 8.5%
in 2010. Only a minority of those employed
in rural areas are directly engaged in farming
and agriculture; the rest are employed in
other economic activities.
Environmentally friendly agricultural practices
have received growing attention in recent
years, such as less use of chemicals for
pest control and greater use of alternative
techniques and methods. Recycling of
agricultural residues has been adopted to
better preserve the agro-ecology. More legal
instruments have been introduced such as
the Packaging Waste Reduction Law and the
Plastic Recycling in Agriculture Law.
10
and Rural Development provides them, the
most important of which are enumerated
below:
Instructing and Vocational Training Services
The Agricultural Extension Service deals
with three main felds:
Instructing - the purpose of instructing is
to provide updated agricultural knowledge
for farmers.
Training the unit holds courses that provide
farmers with concentrated professional
knowledge as a basis for adopting new and
advanced technologies.
Production of applied knowledge
Agricultural Extension Service professional
personnel conduct hundreds of experiments,
obser vations and studies each year
(cooperating with regional R&D units,
the Agricultural Research Administration,
universities and the Technion Institute
of Technology), with the aim of fnding
solutions to problems that emerge in the
feld and applying them in the feld. This
way, the Agricultural Extension Service
makes available to farmers the forefront of
current information for use in the agricultural
production process.
The felds of knowledge that the unit assists
farmers in adopting include: effcient use of
water (including recycling), use of recovered
and salty water, adoption of technologies
and automations for personnel saving,
improvement of agricultural produce
quality to meet international standards,
variety diversifcation, reduction in the use
of pesticides, advancement of agricultural
subjects related to environmental protection
(such as reforms in dairy farms, use of
sledges in agriculture and prevention of fres
of trimmed agricultural foliage), improving
the image of agriculture in Israel and training
a young generation to continue to work in
their parents farms.
This chapter focuses on the service for the
Israeli farmer that the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development provides. However,
it must be emphasized that the broadest
function of the Ministry is the planning and
execution of the policy of the Government
of Israel in the feld of production and supply
of fresh food for the entire population,
with attention to the rules required in the
feld of public, animal and plant health and
while protecting the environment.
In recent decades, the number of active
farmers has decreased, but the scale of
agricultural produce in Israel has remained
the same and sometimes increased, while
Israel is a leader in agricultural research. Israeli
agriculture, which has gained a worldwide
reputation, is also a prospering, proftable
economic branch. About 15 thousand
farmers operating agricultural production
units in Israel beneft from the diverse range
of services that the Ministry of Agriculture
The Ministry and the Farmer
11
Soil Preservation the Soil Preservation
Department at the Ministry of Agriculture
instructs farmers and helps them in actions
whose purpose is to preserve the quality
and fertility of soil, protect against foods
and regulate drainage. Since 2008, the
Ministry has been offering various facilities
and assets that preserve soil and prevent its
depletion to farmers who have switched to
soil preservative farming, including the use
of specialized automation tools. The scope
of the support in 2010 was approximately
NIS 13.25 million.
Information Center of the Strategy Division
The information center of the Research,
Economy and Strategy Division provides
farmers in Israel current data on global
markets of fresh agricultural produce
and activity in competing countries. The
center gathers information, analyzes factors
that affect the various markets, identifes
marketing oppor tunities and provides
consultation and instructing services for the
development of new initiatives in agricultural
export. The unit regularly publishes periodical
reports that include information on the
markets in the main export branches
citrus, fowers, vegetables and subtropical
fruits. The information serves growers and
exporters organizations, as well as decision
makers at the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development (including research
and instructing elements). Tracking of the
business environment allows for rapid
responses to be tailored to the needs of
farmers and strategic planning in the public
and private sectors.
Veterinary Services
The main function of the veterinary services
at the Ministry of Agriculture is to protect
the health of animals and the public
against zoonoses (animal-borne diseases).
The offces of the veterinary services
are deployed nationwide and deal with
zoonoses. Their functions include: prevention
of disease in animals, prevention of diseases
common to animals and humans (including
rabies) and their eradication. The veterinary
services also deal in the control of import
and export of animals and their products,
licensing, testing of drugs and vaccines and
more.
Animal Welfare in recent years, great
attention has been given to animal welfare,
covering both pets and working animals.
Public interest in the living conditions
of animals has led to legislation being
advanced in this feld, followed by increased
enforcement. Currently, regulations that
defne minimum conditions for keeping
calves, transporting livestock and keeping of
animals (off farms) have been passed.
The Plant Protection and Inspection
Services
The Plant Protection and Inspection
Services are the arm for enforcing laws and
regulations in the feld of plant health. The
unit is also authorized to issue international
certifcates that are required for trading
agricultural produce health certifcates,
export certifcates for organic produce and
certifcates indicating the quality of fresh
agricultural produce. The unit deals with
the regulation of the quality of agricultural
produce that is destined for export and
provision of special treatments for produce
in accordance with the requirements of the
destination countries, and acts to prevent
the arrival of plant diseases into Israel. In
addition, the unit deals with the licensing
of pesticides and regulation of their use,
regulation of the production of reproductive
agents and seeds, control of export of plant
material and regulation of organic agriculture
and more.
Environmentally Friendly Pest Control
Pesticides and their use are an important
aspect of agriculture. Unintelligent use of
these agents may cause damage to the
environment, the user, plantations and
food consumers. To ensure safe, effcient
use of pesticides, many regulations have
been passed, including the regulation dealing
with the observance of instructions on the
packaging label of agents.
The Ministr y offers money grants to
farmers who are interested in switching
from conventional pest control, based on
chemical agents, to control that incorporates
environmentally friendly measures. This
move will allow farmers to continue coping
intelligently with pests and lesions while
reducing environmental damage. Combined
pest control will ensure an environment
and agricultural produce that are free of
pesticide traces.
Encouragement of Capital Investment in
Agriculture
Based on the secondary objectives of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, the Investment Directorate
at the Ministry gives farmers grants in
accordance with a program for encouraging
capital investment in agriculture in 2011.
The program encourages production for
the domestic market, the export potential
of agricultural produce, technological
developments, saving in numbers of working
hands, environmental development, water
saving, the use of marginal water, saving in
pesticide use and the spread of settlements.
The program applies to any agricultural
producer as defned in the Encouragement
of Capital Investment in Agriculture Law,
including any new settler in an agricultural
community.
12
Agricultural Engineering
Israels agricultural engineering industry is
well-known for its innovativeness, resulting in
many useful technologies. Mention may be
made of some such state-of-the-art irrigation
technologies such as air-assisted sprayers,
labor and energy saving systems, sophisticated
sensors, greenhouse equipment, packaging
systems and management software.
Some examples of recent developments
are described below: Special sensors have
been developed to record and monitor
plant growth-rate and determine growing
needs. The use of these sensors results in
signifcant savings in water and fertilizers,
while improving production and quality.
Equipment and machinery for vineyards,
which enable management of large vineyards
with minimal labor, have been developed
and commercialized. These include systems
for pruning, windowing, trimming, sweeping
and spraying. Harvesting systems for crops
such as fower bulbs, onions, potatoes,
sweet potatoes, watermelons, dates, jojoba,
peanuts, and chili peppers are designed
and manufactured according to the special
needs of Israeli agriculture. Special systems
and methods for post-harvest operations
such as separation of clods and stones from
potatoes, weighing and sorting fower bulbs
and corms according to size, hot-water
washing systems for fresh produce, accurate
vibrating seizers, fower bunching systems,
and length sorting are used to improve
product quality and reduce labor.
A variety of sprayers designed for precise
pesticide application and other specifc
purposes are developed and manufactured
in Israel. New sprayers developed for narrow
paths in greenhouses and others suitable
for orchards are under development and
implementation. Solar soil disinfestations are
already widely practiced, using plastic flms
with special properties. Energy consumption
in greenhouses has been reduced signifcantly
by application of variable frequency drive
(VFD) units to greenhouse fans and
ventilation. Physical methods of removing
insects from plants in vegetable greenhouses
were developed and are used for the Kosher
market, for organic crops and by ordinary
growers. Technology was developed for
making cooking oil pesticides economically
feasible and they are already in use.
High-pressure nozzle systems that create
a micron vapor are applied to cool down
greenhouses and extend the growing season
in hot climatic conditions, as well to improve
the welfare of poultry and dairy cows. When
excessively hot, the system can lower the
heat to the desirable climate condition at the
growing habitat without adversely affecting
the radiation levels.
A new system for combined heating and
dehumidifcation (CHD) was developed to
artifcially dry the air in closed greenhouses
while maintaining the desired humidity and
temperature. The energy effciency of the
system is very high and it reduces foliage
damages due to bacterial infections.
Precision Agriculture (PA) is increasingly
applied in Israel. PA uses cutting-edge
13
Agricultural Engineering
technologies, such as Global Positioning
Sensors (GPS), Satellites or aerial images,
and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
to assess and understand in-feld variability.
Development of sensors and technologies for
selective application of fertilizers and pesticides
take into account health-care considerations
and environmental and economic factors. PA
contributes to effcient crop production and
optimized inputs, leading to reduced costs
and environmental impact.
Four types of data are currently available:
remotely-sensed images (especially for
biomass mapping), yield maps (mainly of
grain and tuber crops), elevation maps,
and bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC)
maps. Hyper-spectral and thermal remote
sensing are being investigated for mapping
minerals and water stress and for detection
of irrigation system failures, in cotton,
potatoes, wheat, grapes, olives and palm
trees felds.

Precision livestock farming systems use
information technology to improve livestock
production effciency, through greater
control of the production process and a
more targeted application of resources. A
sensor for on-line assessment of milk quality
during the milking process enables individual
cow management through monitoring of
fat, protein and lactose content, as well as
detection of the presence of blood in the
milk or somatic cells.
The worldwide use of a machine for
extracting pomegranate seeds (arils), which
is currently the only commercial machine
available, enables full utilization of this unique
fruit for a variety of products, including fresh
seeds in Modifed-Atmosphere Packaging
(MAP), high-quality juice, and nutritional
and pharmaceutical products.
A new system which collects and mows
the trimmed branches of palm trees in the
orchards was developed. In addition, with a
modifed bailer, it creates a clean effcient
solution to this environmental issue while
reusing the chopped packed material for
foor pads in cowsheds.
A peanut digger was developed to create
a row of detached plants with their roots
and the peanuts in the middle, facing each
other, and thus protecting the yield from
sun burns and dew damages before fnal
harvesting.
A counting and weight assessment system
for ornamental fsh already helps growers
reduce the time and manual labor invested
in handling their products. The process is
performed using relatively simple and reliable
counting apparatus where a digital camera
and unique computer vision system maintain
the required high accuracy.
A system for removal of insects from leafy
vegetables and herbs utilizes suction and air
blast to maximize the insect removal and
for improved control.
14
Greenhouses
Production under protected conditions has
become the principal way for Israeli growers
to ensure a constant, year-round supply
of high-quality products, while minimizing
the use of chemicals. This method helps
to overcome obstacles posed by adverse
climatic conditions and a shor tage of
water and land. Today the shor tage of
manpower, especially of foreign workers,
which may impact production outputs
by as much as 20%, presents a threat to
protected producers and a challenge to
the community.
The philosophical approach adopted by
Israeli protected producers is to take
advantage of local climatic conditions and
adjust the plants to the existing conditions
and technologies with minimal or non-energy
inputs. This approach requires high skills and
excellent supporting systems (Israeli research
& extension services and industries) and
technologies related to production aspects,
such as good breeding materials, irrigation &
fertigation, plastic materials, agro-technology,
and above all fexibility.
The total area covered with greenhouses,
shade-houses and walk-in tunnels increased
from 900 ha in the 1980s to about 13,000
ha in 2012, with 8,000 ha for vegetables and
5,000 ha for foriculture, and another 2,500-
2,900 ha for fruit trees (mainly covered
with nets), representing an average annual
growth of 4 to 6%. The average farm size
is 4 - 8 ha for vegetable production and 8
ha for fower production.
In recent years the main feld of expansion
has been production under net houses
orchards, bananas, decorating leaves,
vegetables and more are produced under
different types of net houses and nets to
improve quality, for water saving, plant
protection, hail problems and insuring supply
for local and export markets.
Greenhouses, which are capital-intensive
both in construction and maintenance, are
largely used for high added-value crops such
as the seedling industry, fower cuttings,
plantations and vegetables. Due to the high
investment, growers are constantly seeking
methods to streamline their operations and
make them more cost-effective.
Israeli farmers successfully grow between 85
and 100 tons of sweet peppers per hectare
of greenhouses per season, and today the
yield at a net house reaches 8 tons, 90% of
which is slated for export. An average of 400
tons of tomatoes are grown per hectare, four
times the amount harvested in open felds,
and about 280 tons of short cucumbers
per hectare. In addition, plastic greenhouse
structures have recently been introduced
for housing livestock, poultry, and fsh. The
tropical aquarium fsh greenhouses are the
most cutting-edge, complete with climate
control accessories and auto-robots.
In addition to fowers and vegetables,
which have been grown in greenhouses in
the last few decades, fruits such as grapes,
pomegranates and citrus are now grown in
plastic houses as well as in net houses for
hail protection, water saving and improved
quality.
Plastic Covering
The plastic used for greenhouse covers is
mainly polyethylene, with three- or fve-layer
technology. This cover has unique anti-drip
(constant renewal), anti-dust and thermicity
features, among others. The plastic covering
produced today is durable and resistant
to vapor from sulfur, used as pesticides in
greenhouses.
Today the demand for agricultural plastic in
Israel stands at 14,000 tons, half of which is
for protected cultivation structures. Most
of this comes from local production, with
half of the total production being exported
to destinations all over the world.
A new Israeli standard for covering plastic
materials (with regard to mechanical
and optical characteristics), based on the
European standards, was adopted during
2011.
Israeli-made plastic sheeting is used for
covering structures as well as for light-
spectrum control and manipulation to
infuence plant growth and insect behavior;
flter ultra-violet (UV) rays; radiate infra-
red (IR) rays; and refract and distribute
light to maximize its benefcial effect on
the plants. Some covers include additives
that prevent water from dripping onto the
plants (anti-fog) and protect the covering
against degradation. The addition of various
colors also helps combat pests.
A new development is a sheet that attracts
plant pests, which then stick to the plastic
and die. Another type of cover repels pests
by its color. This is particularly effective
against Bemisia tabaci, the most harmful
pest in agriculture.
15
Greenhouses
Plastic mulch performs a variety of functions,
including soil disinfestation by solar energy
(solarization); covering the soil for heat
collection; preventing growth of weeds;
minimizing evaporation and escape of
fertilizer; repelling or attracting insects; and
manipulating soil temperature. Mulching
the soil in the greenhouses signifcantly
reduced the incidence of humid diseases
such as late blight. Very thin mulch has been
produced - to be used only in the early crop
development stages - which decomposes
after a specifed period of exposure to the
suns rays.
Plastic covers for various low tunnels are
available for all stages of plant growth.
Research is being conducted to produce
a thinner material, without compromising
functionality.
Netting
The main Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) tool that is used in greenhouses and
shade houses is the insect-proof net, mainly
50 mesh. These nets keep the insects out,
without using any chemicals. Most vegetable
and fower greenhouses are sealed with
insect-proof nets.
Insects carry viruses that have a devastating
effect on plants, and methods of controlling
them are expensive. Many greenhouses,
in addition to the plastic covering, have
net walls that prevent the entry of insects
and allow for heat dispersal. Other kinds
of netting are used for shading. These nets
are categorized according to the percentage
of shading they produce. New nets were
developed, for better shade protection and
prevention of invasion of insects to the
greenhouses, like spider net and bio net.
Advanced manufacturing methods have
succeeded in producing netting that serves
as a sophisticated thermal screen, reducing
solar radiation during the day, and preventing
heat loss at night. The new development is
particularly benefcial in areas with extreme
day and night temperature differences.
This netting is also used to cool poultry
houses.
New research conducted by Israeli
scientists demonstrates the advantages of
colored shade nets on fruit trees such as
apple, nectarine, peach, citrus and various
ornamental cut leaves. The new colored
shade nets are found to promote earliness,
improve quality, produce higher yields and
provide other benefts.
Innovative material that has been developed
enables the farmer to convert a net house
into a greenhouse and vice versa (Eco Seal).
Consequently, the farmer can obtain the
following benefts: extending the growing
season, avoiding the need to establish
separate types of constructions in order
to assure year-round supply, reducing of
the amounts of non-degradable waste like
plastic, all at minimum per hectare cost.
Structure
The advanced greenhouse construction
currently used in Israel includes curtains,
skylights, and shade netting, which move
automatically in reaction to sunlight. Modern
greenhouses are higher, being fve meters
at their lowest point and the span width
reaching 9.6 m. This provides better light,
work space, ventilation, while allowing for
the installation of shade netting and thermal
coverings. For trellising greenhouse plants
such as tomatoes and cucumbers growers
prefer an 8 m span due to the standing
plastic cover.
Israeli standards require that a greenhouse
be able to withstand winds of up to 100
km/h. However, greenhouses actually meet
far stricter standards and are exported
to countries which have harsher climatic
conditions than Israel.
Climate control
An innovative technology developed in Israel
allows the cooling of greenhouses during the
day and their heating at night, with a minimal
investment of energy. This is accomplished
by using misting/fogging (shower) systems
that spray uniform droplets and are installed
at one end of the greenhouse.
During the day, these droplets absorb excess
heat from the greenhouse and store it until
night, when the heat is released. This method
is used especially for ornamental plants,
which require a high degree of humidity.
The method has been tested successfully
for vegetables as well.
Many advances have been made in recent
years to minimize and avoid the need to
heat the greenhouses improved covering
materials, thermal screens, better and
appropriate greenhouse structures, water
sleeves and humidity absorbing systems
were introduced, leading to huge energy
saving and more environmentally friendly
production.
The Computerized Greenhouse
Computer hardware and software have
been developed in Israel, allowing automatic
control of the greenhouse water and
fertilizer and continuity of climate systems.
Software developers maintain close contact
with growers, in order to keep abreast of
the latest developments in agricultural
systems and to provide the most effective
and advanced solutions, resulting in the
automatic and sophisticated irrigation
system in use today.
Regulation
Israel also imposes strict regulation on plastic
collection after use. The state subsidizes
machinery for plastic collection and storage
facilities for collecting plastic, aimed at
recycling and reuse.
A new Israeli standard for covering and
another for mulching plastic materials
(with regard to mechanical and optical
characteristics), based on the European
standard EN 13206, with modifcations,
was prepared during 2011.
16
The 20
th
centur y brought dramatic
achievements in postharvest technologies,
which facilitated the supply of fresh produce
throughout the year, worldwide. The basic
requirement was to supply the markets
with produce of excellent appearance and
free of decay. In the 21
st
century, the focus
has evolved to include the supply of fresh
produce with good taste preserved and high
nutritional quality, free of chemical pesticides.
In addition, more attention is now given
to avoiding microbiological contamination
of food and environmental contamination
during production and storage.
The primary objective of the Institute
of Postharvest and Food Sciences in the
Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) is
to increase food safety and quality in the local
markets and to enable exports of produce
that meet the highest standards. To achieve
these goals, the Institutes researchers initiate
or respond to local innovative agricultural
research projects funded by local and
international agencies.
Post-Harvest Technologies in the 21
st
Century
To achieve these objectives, advanced
scientifc tools in physiology, chemistry,
pathology, microbiology, entomology,
molecular biology, proteomics, genomics and
the senses (taste and aroma) are utilized by
the Institutes researchers. These disciplines
are combined with traditional preservation
technologies, and with the development of
novel treatments for processing, storage and
transportation of fresh, dried and processed
foods. The main advantage of the Institutes
researchers is their thorough familiarity with
the local produce and industry and the rapid
exchange of knowledge and technologies
amongst the researchers. Specifc felds
of expertise were developed for herbs,
cut fowers, root vegetables, bell peppers,
citrus, table grapes, fresh-cut produce, and
subtropical and deciduous fruit.
Special efforts are devoted to identifying
and developing alternatives to chemical
methods for the control of postharvest
pathogens and pests. These alternatives
include the reinforcement of host resistance,
biological control and applications of physical
treatments. Basic scientifc research felds
include the study of leaf senescence, chilling
injury, host pathogen interactions and
programmed cell death.
To address the issues of the 21
st
century,
the Institute devotes signifcant efforts to
studying the effect of postharvest treatments
on taste and on the nutritional quality of
the produce. In addition, several research
programs are aimed at reducing risk
associated with potential microbiological
17
outbreaks of human pathogens that may
reside on the produce. Researchers employ
and develop novel methods to sanitize the
produce and make use of safer compounds
to preserve produce quality. There are also
extensive endeavors to adopt technologies
to facilitate the export of sensitive produce
by sea in order to reduce environmental
problems and costs associated with air
transportation.
The institute is also involved in the
advancement of Israeli and international
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows,
and encourages international symposia and
activities that contribute to the dissemination
of the knowledge acquired in Israel to
developing countries around the world.
One of the hallmarks of the research carried
out at the Institute is the interaction and
collaboration with other ARO units, with
the Agricultural Extension Service, growers,
farmers organizations and agriculture-related
companies in Israel, and with counterpart
institutes and renowned researchers the
world over.
18
Insuffcient water availability has long been
a major constraint in Israeli agriculture,
exacerbated by seven consecutive years
of drought. Over an expanse of 500 km,
Israels annual rainfall ranges from 800 mm
in the upper north of the country to 25
mm on the desert edge in the south, while
average annual evaporation ranges from
1,400 mm to 2,800 mm. The rainy season
extends from October to April, with no
rain during the hot summer.
Following overuse of water during the
seven years of drought and beyond, Israels
major groundwater reservoirs have declined
sharply. This will be compensated for by
artifcial means; desalinated water from
the Mediterranean, as well as increased
exploitation of brackish water and other
marginal sources of water for crop irrigation.
Fur thermore, use of potable water in
Water and Irrigation
Use of Land and Water in Agricultural Production 2011
1949 1970 1998 2001 2004 2006* 2011
Total cultivated land (I ,000ha) 165 411 410 384 380 300 283
Cultivated land under irrigation 30 172 194 188 225 152 165
Water consumption (MCM) 257 1,340 1,365 1,022 1,129 1,108 1,189
Fresh water (MCM) 918 563 566 519 509
Recycled and brackish water
(MCM)
367 411 512 544 680
* Not including pasture.
agriculture has gradually been reduced as
the use of reclaimed (sewage) water for
crop irrigation has risen over last decade
from 220 MCM to 410 MCM annually.
Since the establishment of the State of Israel
in 1948, agricultural output has increased
twelve-fold, while water use in agriculture
has increased only three-fold. The output
value in fxed prices has tripled per land unit
and increased fve-fold per water unit.
Water Resources
Although most of the water resources are
located in the north and central part of
the country, agriculture and settlements
have largely expanded in the south and
the south east. To meet increasing water
needs, the National Water Carrier was built
in the 1960s. Comprising a large diameter
pipeline carrying some 400 MCM of water
annually for various uses (agriculture,
domestic, and industry), it extends from
the Sea of Galilee in the north down to
the central and southern regions of the
country. Initially, much of this water was used
in agriculture. Later, due to growing water
shortages, allocation of potable water for
agriculture was reduced, and annual use is
now half of what it was a decade ago.
Water is regarded as a national asset
protected by law. Users receive an annual
quota from the Water Authority. The
entire water supply is measured, and the
various customers are charged according
to consumption and water quality. Use of
recycled water costs about half that of
potable water.
19
Urban users pay much higher water rates
than farmers, including the cost of water
reclamation. Farmers and domestic users
pay differential prices for potable water.
This incremental price policy encourages
water savings.
The water quota and price policy encourages
the use of marginal water, such as brackish
and reclaimed water. Brackish water is used
for irrigation of salinity-tolerant crops
such as cotton. For several crops, such
as tomatoes and melons, brackish water
improves produce quality, though yields
are lower. The use of reclaimed water for
irrigation of edible crops requires extensive
treatment.
To this end, special technology - Soil Aquifer
Treatment (SAT) - is now applied in the
densely populated Dan region. Following
tertiary treatment, the water percolates
through sand layers, which serve as a
biological flter, into the aquifer. From there,
the water is pumped at near potable quality
and can be used for irrigation without
restriction.
Irrigation Technology
Irrigation has been researched intensively
since the early 1950s. It became clear that
water use is much more effcient when
pressurized irrigation is used as opposed
to surface irrigation.
An irrigation equipment industry was
established, mainly on kibbutzim, which
developed innovative technologies and
accessories, such as drip irrigation (surface
and subsurface), automatic valves and
controllers, media and automatic fltration,
low-discharge sprayers and mini-sprinklers,
drippers, and sprinklers.
A fertigation system is routinely installed
on most irrigated land. Fertilizer producers
have developed highly soluble and liquid
fertilizers compatible with this technology.
Most irrigation is controlled by automatic
valves and computerized controllers.
Over 80% of irrigated areas in Israel are
irrigated using micro-irrigation systems.
The remainder employ overhead systems,
such as sprinkler or mechanized systems,
either center pivot or linear systems.
The innovative irrigation industry has a
worldwide reputation, and more than 80%
of production is exported.
Irrigation Regime
Israeli farmers appreciate the fact that
water is a precious and limited resource
and that it warrants careful conservation
and handling, in the most effcient manner
possible. Pressure irrigation systems enable
better control and monitoring of irrigation,
that can be translated into higher water-
use effciency. A countrywide network of
agro-meteorological stations delivers real-
time weather data to farmers, which are
used to adjust the irrigation regime. Diverse
soil moisture monitoring devices, including
tensiometers, pressure chamber systems,
and electrical resistance sensors, are utilized
for more precise local adjustments. Vegetal
indicators such as leaf water potential and
fruit growth rate are used to achieve further
precision in water application. The average
annual water application per hectare has
fallen from 8,000 m
3
/ha to 5,000 m
3
/ha
over the past ffty years, while agriculture
has spread to the more arid regions in the
south and east.
Recycling of Drainage Water
In soilless media culture, the typical leaching
fraction applied in Israel to remove
accumulated salt ranges from 30% to
50%.
As a result, one-third to one-half of the
applied water fertilizer drains out, carrying
average concentrations of 130 mg/l nitrogen,
20 mg/l phosphorus, and 140 mg/l potassium
as well as the natural salts.
In recent years, approximately 25% of
greenhouses with soilless substrates have
switched to recycled irrigation systems.
Recycling the water and nutrients by reusing
water drainage either back to the same or
nearby feld appears to be the most effcient,
environmental and economical solution:
approximately 30% to 40% of water and
fertilizer inputs are saved. Potential polluting
of the aquifer by open irrigation systems is
reduced. The switch to recycled irrigation
systems had unexpectedly results, namely,
increased yields.
Future Trends
The growing population, as well as continuous
drought conditions, will put further pressure
on reducing potable water supplies to
agriculture, which will therefore resort to
various uses of marginal waters.
More feld-level improvements; the concepts
of ultra-low irrigation rate and plant
monitoring will be further investigated for
their contribution to higher water effciency
and nutrient utilization.
20
Fertilizers and Fertigation
Israel is among the worlds largest producers
of potassium chloride and one of the largest
manufacturers of potassium nitrate, a highly
soluble fertilizer that is suitable for a wide
range of agricultural crops. It can be delivered
through fertigation systems, or by foliar
application. The fertilizer is sold in powdered
or granulated form. Other highly soluble
fertilizers manufactured in Israel include:
MAP (Mono-Ammonium Phosphate)
12-61-0 soluble form, and12-52-0 non-
soluble form for base application. In addition
MKP (Mono-Potassium Phosphate) is another
high potential PK fertilizer that is composed
of phosphorous and potassium.
Israels southern region, and in particular
the Dead Sea area, is rich in minerals
that provide potassium, phosphorus, and
magnesium for agricultural use. Some of
the minerals are exported as raw material
to fertilizer manufacturers throughout the
world, and some of it is processed in Israel
as ready-to-use fertilizers for agriculture in
the domestic and international markets.
Despite a slight decrease in the total
cultivated area in Israel, intensive agriculture,
such as the production of vegetables and
fowers in greenhouses, has increased more
than threefold, from 5000 hectares to more
than 15,000 hectares.

The shift to more intensive agriculture
has not increased the total consumption
of synthetic fertilizers as might have been
expected. According to data published by
the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics there
was a drastic reduction in consumption
of synthetic fertilizers in the last decade:
Nitrogen by 40% from 53,000 tons to
30,000 tons, Phosphorus(P
2
O
5
) by 50% from
12,000 to 6,200 tons and Potash (K
2
O) by
35% from 38,000 to 24,000 tons.
Among the reasons for this reduction
in fertilizer use in Israel are: higher use
of recycled waste e.g. compost, manure;
increased use of treated effuent water; steep
rise in the prices of fertilizers/energy; and
lastly, more effcient fertilizer use by growers
21
Fertilizers and Fertigation
as a result of training programs conducted
by the Extension Service of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development.
All the various types of irrigation systems
in Israel use pressurize technology, and of
them 80% are irrigated by micro systems.
Fertigation technology is the means of
applying either liquid or soluble fertilizer
through the irrigation system. The fertigation
system is par t of pressure irrigation
technology, which applies fertilizer and
water simultaneously.
The main advantages of fertigation over
a regular irrigation system (without an
incorporated fertilization unit) is as follows:
remarkable increase in the effciency of the
fertilizer application; precise application of the
nutrients according to crop requirements;
convenient use of compound and ready-
mix nutrient solutions; application of minor
elements that are otherwise very diffcult
to apply accurately; easier control and
monitoring of nutrient supply.
An essential prerequisite for the use of
solid fertilizers in a fertigation system is
absolute solubility in irrigation water. Effective
fertigation requires an understanding of
the plant nutrient curve, soil and fertilizer
chemistry, and water quality. Fertigation
programs are developed on the basis of
laboratory analyses of soil, leaf, or other plant
tissues. There are many fertilizer programs
for each crop. A fertigation system allows
continuous adjustment of fertilizer supply
according to the crop requirement during
various stages of the plants growth: rooting,
vegetative, fowering, fruit set, and maturation.
The fertilizer regimes are followed up by
feld trials, conducted by agronomists from
the Extension Service.

In Israel, three main fertilizer manufacturers
supply over 1000 formulas of compound
liquid or solid fertilizes to meet the demand
of the growers, stemming from R&D-based
fndings of research institutes (public and
private) and the Extension Service.
High quality fertilizes such as Controlled
Rel ease Fer ti l i zer s (CRF) are al so
manufactured in our country. These are
coated in polymers to ensure slow, prolonged
release and delivery via diffusion. The cost
of CRFs is still higher than that of common
compound fertilizers. However, they have the
potential to replace conventional fertilizers
in pot plants and in greenhouse production
due to their ability to reduce the enormous
nutrient losses that are still characteristic
of fertigation practices. Whenever reuse of
fertigation water drainage is not performed,
in many cases the lost nutrients may fnd
their way to groundwater, pollute and
corrupt it.
22
Plant Protection
Background
Israel has a high level, well developed
agriculture covering a wide range of crops,
such as: fruit trees, feld crops, vegetables,
spices, fowers and more. The level of
research and development in all matters
relating to agricultural issues ranks among
the most advanced in the world. The
agricultural produce at the crop level is also
of very high quality. Naturally, the issue of
plant protection has also gained a signifcant
place in research and development, both in
basic research and in applied research that
is performed in the agricultural feld alike.
In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development has established
an overarching goal of using pest control
that is friendly to the environment and
man Integrated Pest Management with
emphasis on reducing the use of pesticides
and using pest control technologies that
are friendly to the environment and man,
without impairing crop levels or quality.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
The protection of all crops in the country is
based on the guiding principle of Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) as required by
both the domestic and export markets.
IPM focuses on reduction of chemical pest
control and protection of the environment.
In more practical terms, this means spraying
only when necessary, preferring environment
friendly chemicals, and promoting the use
of biological control in a variety of crops
such as avocado, mango, strawberry, pepper,
tomato and citrus. A parallel supporting
activity consists of the wide adoption of
pest monitoring and improved decision-
making on pest management and control.
The technical policy is to expand the area
under IPM regime annually.
23
Plant Protection
Flow of Crop Protection Information
The Crop Protection Depar tment in
the Agricultural Extension Ser vice of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development cooperates with agricultural
research organizations, the Plant Protection
and Inspection Services (PPIS), which is
the Ministrys regulatory agency in this
feld, and the chemical industry. This close
collaboration and networking ensures that
the main problem areas, such as severe
losses caused by newly invading pests,
are dealt with in a well-coordinated way
at the level of pesticide registration and
recommendation, for the beneft of the
end-uses - the growers.
Technological Developments in Crop
Protection
The quality requirements of the export
markets and the goal of adopting non-
chemical pest control practices obliged the
crop protection technical establishment -
research, extension, and industry - to sustain
an R&D approach and apply its new and
sophisticated technologies in the feld.
Following are examples of implementation
of IPM integrated in Israeli agriculture:
1. Careful supervision and monitoring of
pests in different crop felds
2. Growth of pepper in greenhouses
covering approximately 2000 hectares,
growing under a strict regimen of Integrated
Pest Control against various pepper pests,
with pest control and monitoring using
natural enemies.
3. Agri cul tural crops that grow i n
greenhouses that are covered with insect
nets that prevents penetration of pests that
may harm crops. (insert image of feeding
stations)
4. Growing of strawberries covering an area
of 2.5 hectares under a strict regimen of
Integrated Pest Control with pest control
and monitoring using natural enemies.
5. In the case of Ceratitris capitata, the
Mediterranean fruit fy, it damages the
greatest number of agricultural crops, such as
citrus, deciduous fruit trees and more. There
are a number of alterative technologies for
chemical spraying operations.
6. Extermination of the olive fruit fy
(Bactrocera oleae) is performed using feeding
stations covering an area of approximately
10 hectares.
These are the projects that the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development has been
promoting in recent years. In addition, there
are many other crops covered by Integrated
Pest Management (IPM), with the intent or
reducing the amount of chemical spraying
operations in agricultural areas. These
activities are done with the accompaniment
and guidance of the plant protection feld
instructors of the Agricultural Extension
Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development.
Market Requirements
Israeli farmers who export face rigorous
consumer demands. As such, management
practices have to comply with the
exacting demands of major European
and US supermarket chains, as well as
with international standards such as the
International Standards Organization (ISO),
EurepGAP and Tesco Natural Choice
(TNC).
24
Israel develops, produces and markets new
varieties capable of meeting farmers and
customers requirements, including long
shelf-life, durability under storage, high yield,
resistance to disease, healthy food, drought
resistance and adaptation to a variety of
climatic conditions. Israel is considered to
be one of the leading countries in seed
research. Each year, Israel exports over
$150 million worth of seeds, mainly hybrid
vegetable seeds, to markets that depend on
improved yields and quality.
Developing New Varieties
New seed varieties are developed mostly by
Israels private-sector seed companies, and
also by the agricultural research institutes.
Basic and applied research is conducted
at various sites, including seed companies
research stations, the Agricultural Research
Organization (ARO) at the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, the
Weizmann Institute of Science, the Faculty
of Agriculture, Food and Environmental
Quality Sciences of the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev and Bar-Ilan University.
Seeds
Market demands also infuence research
and development. One example is the
introduction of a seedless mini-watermelon
that is well suited to the needs of the
modern family, as well as bite-size mini-
cucumbers and bite-size sweet-peppers.
Another example is interspecifc hybrid
cotton, which combines the advantages of
two cotton species, Gossypium hirsutum and
Gossypium barbadense, and is characterized
by longer and stronger fbers. These hybrid
cotton varieties have improved lint quality,
and need 40% less irrigation when grown
in marginal felds.
Agricultural research has contributed to the
development of high added value products,
such as cherry tomatoes, Lycopene-rich
tomatoes, greenhouse tomatoes, a new
generation of long shelf life Galia-type
melons, seedless peppers, greenhouse
peppers, super taste mini-watermelons
and hybrid pumpkin and squash.
The Israeli seed industry is highly regarded
for its development of hybrid seeds for fresh
produce, particularly tomatoes, melons,
watermelons, short day onions and peppers.
A tomato hybrid renowned for its long shelf-
life has also been developed. The fruits of
the new varieties are attractive, solid, and
enjoy a long shelf-life. A substantial number
of tomato greenhouses in Europe utilize
seeds developed and produced in Israel.
Recently, after the tomato yellow leaf curl
virus (TYLCY) started spreading in many
regions of the world, the Israeli seed industry
was called upon to carry out extensive
research on the subject, resulting in the
release of a TYLCV-resistant tomato seed for
greenhouse and open feld production.
Seed scientists have also developed special
varieties of peppers, shor t- day onions,
melons and wheat, enabling farmers to
grow high quality produce. New varieties
of watermelons and cucumbers produced
in greenhouses have the advantages of high
yields and high quality, even during the off-
season.
The Process of New Variety Development
Plant breeding is a very dynamic sector with
supporting research that is comprehensive
and highly developed. The product cycle is
about three to fve years, after which new
products replace it on the market. It takes
an average of three to fve years to develop
and commercialize a new variety. Therefore,
development of the next generation of
seeds must begin even before the present
one is introduced.
25
Biotechnological methods that shorten this
lengthy process by about 20% are used. New
varieties are tested using molecular markers
that can identify desirable or undesirable
traits in the earliest development stages,
so that experiments can be pursued or
discontinued accordingly. The search for
new cultivars and the development of
new varieties involve the application of
sophisticated cross-breeding and genetic
engineering methods.
By geneti c engi neer i ng, desi r abl e
characteristics not originally present in the
plants can be introduced. Plants produced
in this manner are known as transgenic
or genetically modifed, and are implanted
with foreign genes, endowing them with
new traits. These methods enable the
development of plants resistant to various
pathogens, such as viruses and insects, or
plants with high levels of vitamins.
Highly resistant and vigorous varieties are
currently being developed, which minimize
the need for pesticides and fertilizers and
allow them to grow naturally.
Following the transition to organically-grown,
chemical-free products, Israel has developed
environment-friendly management of
vegetable and fruit production.
Israel and the Global Seed Industry
In recent years, the largest Israeli seed
companies have become part of the global
seed industry. The worlds largest seed
companies are highly invested in the Israeli
industry and in the local seed companies.
As a result, R&D investments in Israel for
plant breeding and plant biotechnology
have grown.
26
Modern agriculture is largely dependent
on advanced Research and Development
(R&D), which remains one of the main
cornerstones of Israeli agriculture. Obliged
to live with limited arable land and water
resources, Israel has developed a range
of innovative agriculture, irrigation and
water management technologies in order
to optimize use of scarce water resources,
harsh soil, a minimal labor force and climatic
windows of opportunity.
Investment in agriculture and rural
development remains a high priority. One
direct result is that Israel has become a world
leader in agricultural innovation, sharing its
expertise with some of the poorest regions
on earth to create sustainable self-suffciency
in food and water supplies.
National priorities for research are
determined each year by a National Steering
Research and Development
Committee for Agricultural R&D, headed
by the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development. In each
research feld, a steering sub-committee
of experts prioritizes and monitors the
progress and achievements of the research
activities.
The Agricultural Research Organization
(ARO) is the main Government research
institution for agriculture in Israel and
has been at the forefront of agricultural
research since its founding 90 years ago.
The ARO accounts for almost 75% of
agricultural research countrywide, and
is the main driving force behind Israels
agricultural achievements. The ARO has
an extensive research base, boasting some
200 scientists with a Ph.D. and 340 engineers
and technicians. In addition, 250 graduate
students and postdoctoral fellows from
different academic institutions conduct their
research studies at the ARO. These academic
institutions include the Faculty of Agriculture,
Food and Environmental Quality Sciences
at the Hebrew University, the Weizmann
Institute of Science, the Technion in Haifa,
Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University of
the Negev, Bar Ilan University and Tel Aviv
University. The ARO consists of six research
institutes located on the main campus, the
Volcani Center and two regional research
centers; Neve Yaar in the north and Gilat
in the south. The six institutes cover all the
agricultural disciplines: plant sciences; animal
sciences; plant protection; soil, water and
environmental sciences; postharvest and food
sciences, and agricultural engineering.
Israels Gene Bank for Agricultural Crops,
established in 1979, is also located on the
ARO Volcani Center campus, charged with
preserving the biodiversity of Israeli plants
and maintaining a genetic source for future
27
breeding of potential plants with important
and desirable traits for agriculture.
The secret of Israels present agricultural
success is trilateral cooperation among and
close interaction between Government-
sponsored researchers, extension services
and farmers. The Agricultural Extension
Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development (SHAHAM) assists
and coordinates farming activities through
guidance, development and professional
advancement of all the agricultural sectors
in accordance with the Ministrys goals
and objectives. The Services professional
units also advise the Ministry on policy.
This trilateral cooperation successfully
coordinates the development and application
of sophisticated methods in all branches
of agriculture, including technological
advancements, new irrigation techniques
and innovative agro-mechanical equipment,
leading to the widespread introduction
of innovative, expor t-oriented farming
methods.
The Israeli Government and other public
entities make contributions to the ARO
and to the Chief Scientists Fund, whose
establishment has resulted in a signifcant
increase in investments in agricultural
R&D. Other contributions come from
international entities such as bi-national
research funds set up jointly with the United
States and the EU, farmers organizations
at national and regional levels, and private
business sector investments. The latter
investments are directed at products in
which investors can assure their ownership
of the intellectual property rights. Most of
this research is conducted by companies
that produce inputs for agriculture such as
pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, plastics, irrigation
equipment, greenhouses and related
products. The agricultural input industry also
applies the results of the aforementioned
public research. In the ARO, autonomous
unit Kidum R&D is charged with managing
the AROs business-related activities. The
unit deals with all aspects of technology
transfer: promoting contacts between the
AROs researchers and its potential clients,
offering business opportunities, and matching
up available projects, products and expertise
to potential client needs. Private sector
investment has increased in recent years,
and its share in national research efforts has
grown, for the beneft of Israeli agriculture,
and expanded exports of inputs.
28
Agricultural Extension Service
Background and Concept
The overall objective of the Agricultural
Extension Service (hereafter - Extension
Service) is the transfer of agricultural
knowledge to farmers, based on scientifc
achievement as well as applied knowhow,
for implementation in the target farms.
The Extension Service of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development played
a vital role in the early years of agricultural
development in Israel. It provided training
to inexperienced farmers, most of them
new immigrants, enabling them to develop
advanced agriculture using the limited
resources at their disposal.
Over the years, agriculture was developed
through a rapid transfer of practical
information from research to the feld
and the farmer. Work teams were set
up around the country, providing a skilled
and competent nationwide training system.
This training system has become a central
factor in the professional advancement of
agriculture in competitive market conditions.
The Extension Service is guided only by
professional considerations and determines
agro-technological norms.
the ministry headquarters. They, together
with the rest of the staff, provide advisory
services all over the country, through 5
regional offces.
The Extension Service personnel have a large
array of felds of expertise in horticulture,
livestock production and complimentary
professions such as irrigation, fertilization,
crop protection and more.
The ser vice is composed of various
professional departments and the experts
provide their services both individually and
through team work.
The Extension Service promotes quality
production and increases the ability to
exploit the comparative advantage of the
countrys different regions, both for the
export and local markets.
As a result, the Extension Service as well as
research and development have become
an integral par t of Israels agricultural
infrastructure. The Extension Service serves
public and private interests. It is funded by
the government.
The Extension Service is a public good, yet
provides assistance to the private sector as
well as to public decision makers. Since the
inception of Israels International Agricultural
Cooperation program nearly six decades ago,
the Extension Service has taken an active and
key role in providing training to developing
experts and farmers in countries worldwide
through Israels Agency for International
Cooperation (MASHAV) and the Center
for International Agriculture Development
Cooperation (CINADCO).
Structure and Organization
About one third of the 150 personnel of
the service are senior experts based at
29
Agricultural Extension Service
The Role and Methods of the Extension
Service
The Extension Service utilizes various
methods to transfer knowledge:
Individual consultation sessions for
farmers
Training courses
Farm tours
Open days, demonstration days
Publication, recorded documentation, CDs,
videos and presentations
The triangle of research, extension and
farmers in the agricultural sector of the State
of Israel, maintains an open and effcient
communication channel, and consequently
the path from R&D through knowledge
transfer to implementation is prompt and
effective. Moreover, our agro-technology
industry, globally renowned as innovative,
has used the agriculture in Israel as a national
laboratory that provides adaptable solutions
for Israeli farmers as well as for farmers all
over the world.
Extension personnel collect relevant data
from the feld and the farmer, sometimes
assisted by equipment such as digital
cameras, computer controlled devices,
special softwares and the Internet. Thereafter
oral and written recommendations are
provided.
The Service takes into account the interests
of both the grower and the public - the
latter has to consume the products that
must comply with food safety and food
security targets, and still be available at
reasonable prices.
Therefore, the Extension Service has to
tackle, inter alia, following issues:
Water Management
Promotion of water-saving technologies,
encouraging the use of recycled water and
enhancing the use of marginal water, for
irrigation of suitable agricultural crops.
Quality Agricultural Production
Adaptation of agricultural production to
comply with quality-management criteria,
achieving high-standard produce that meets
consumer demands, including food-safety
requirements.
Labor Saving Technologies
Encouragi ng the adopti on of new
technologies and techniques by farmers in
order to reduce the labor force and increase
productivity in all agricultural branches.
Environment-Friendly Issues
Promotion of ecologically-oriented
agriculture encouraging projects of
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with
the aim of creating environment-friendly
agriculture and reducing pesticide use.
Adaptation of the dairy farm sector to
updated environmental regulations. This
was carried out by a reform in which a
large amount of capital was invested in
farm houses and equipment that resulted in
preventing the infltration of contaminants
to ground water.
Diversifying Varieties and Species
The Extension Service supports introduction
of new varieties and species for agricultural
production by using innovative extension
methods.
Supporting Marginal and Peripheral
Regions
The Extension Service supports farmers
in remote areas, where agriculture is a key
economic factor and even supplies high-
value products for the export and local
markets.
30
Agriculture in the Arid Zone
From Desert to Agricultural Oasis:
The Israeli Experience in the Arava
Region
Two-thirds of the State of Israel is defned as
semi-arid and arid. Israels southern region
is a desert called the Negev. The Negev
Desert is subdivided into several regions
that vary in climatic, topographical and soil
conditions. The Northern Negev, Western
Negev, Negev Highlands, and Arava are the
main sub-regions, all of which experience
small and scattered rain showers during a
limited period in the winter.
The Arava, the southernmost part of the
Negev, stretches along a 175 km strip
bordering Jordan, and has an extremely
hot and arid climate. Several dry riverbeds
(wadis) pass through this strip.
Population dispersion and a national
economic and development policy made
it necessary to inhabit this region, while
simultaneously meeting the challenges posed
by the desert conditions.
Historically, the deser t was inhabited
by nomadic tribes which, due to their
dependent on the low rainfall, maintained
a rather traditional desert agriculture, with
wheat, barley and pasture for sheep being
the main crops grown.
Water shortage
The major problem in the Arava is the
shortage of water supply and that it is not
connected to the National Water Carrier
that takes water from the Sea of Galilee
down to the Northern Negev. Consequently,
this region has had to rely on local ground-
water sources which are saline and are
accessed by pumping from wells. Saline
water is found in the aquifer at a depth of
1,000 m, with a salinity level of 800-2,500
ppm. The temperature of geothermal water
varies from 35 to 60C. Additional water
is obtained from the seasonal fooding of
streams. The crusted soil causes fooding
even after light rainfall. The water is
collected in reservoirs and dams set up
in the region.
Challenges of Nature
Climate
Summer temperatures soar above 40C,
and winter temperatures range from 4 to
20C. The average annual rainfall is 5-35
mm. Relative humidity varies from 12% to
80% and the monthly evaporation rate is
between 120 and 240 mm.
Soils
Soils in the Arava are classifed as desert
silt formed from settled alluvial materials.
These soils, entirely defcient of organic
matter, are infertile and saline. The high
evaporation rate in the Arava causes the
formation of layers of salt.
Transforming Disadvantages into
31
Agriculture in the Arid Zone
Transforming Disadvantages into
Advantages
Arava soils lack organic matter, are infertile,
and are saline.
Solution: Addition of light soil from the
Arava riverbed and leveling it in a 0.3 m
layer.
Result: Good soil for growing vegetables
such as peppers, tomatoes, melons and
eggplants and for orchards such as date
palms, reaching high yields. The soil is also
suitable for growing potatoes, with high
yields of 40-50 tons/ha and other crops in
the southern Arava.
Sparse but highly skilled population
(7,000 people)
Solution: Growing high-income crops that
require professional know-how and modern
technology.
Result: Production of different varieties
of crops in greenhouses that achieve top-
quality yields, and that compete successfully
in the international market.
Growing conditions in the Arava are harsh
due to high winds, poor soil and other
factors
Solution: Switching from production in
open felds to production in greenhouses
and net-houses.
Result: Average annual yield of 250-300
tons/ha tomatoes and 80-100 tons/ha
sweet peppers for export. 60% of Israel`s
export of fresh vegetables comes from
the Arava.
The Arava cannot exi st wi thout
irrigation
Solution: The transition to drip-irrigation
enabled irrigating with saline water, in precise
quantities according to the plants needs.
Result: Drip-irrigation is the sole method
used in the Arava.
Saline water in the Arava creates problems
in various crops
Solution: Precise irrigation with saline
water, according to the plants absorption
capacity.
Result: Crops such as sweet pepper, melon
and tomato, are sweeter when irrigated with
saline water. These vegetables are sold under
the Desert Sweet brand name, attaining
premium prices in Europe and the USA
all year.
Growing crops in the winter
Climate conditions in the Arava enable
a large variety of vegetable and fower
cultivation during the winter when there
is a demand in the European market for
quality produce.
Regular irrigation cycles cause high mineral
concentrations in the soil
Solution: Frequent irrigation, several times
a day, keep a mineral balance in the soil.
Result: The yearly grapefruit yield is 120
tons/ha. The high quality mango yield in the
hot season is 50 tons/ha.
32
Rural Development Trends and Challenges
processes that will advance the rural space
based on current policies, principles and
tools that are suitable for the changing reality,
while maintaining its unique qualities and
heritage.
The vision underlying the activity of the
Ministry of Agriculture is to lead rural
development as a model for renewal and a
source of national pride, in social, economic
and environmental spheres.
The rural development policy encourages
openness, transparency and responsibility for
society as a whole and its peripheral regions
in particular, while developing it as a rooted,
modest living space that is connected to
the land and environment. This policy must
relate to the Israeli rural space based on
the following characteristics:
Refecting a strong affnity for agriculture
and production of healthy, fresh food.
Representing a range of settlement
types, lifestyles and multi-generational
communities.
Maintaining open and agricultural grounds
and the imprint of the native landscape.
Maintaining heritage and social values.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development is the agency that is responsible
for the rural space and rural villages, and
focuses on strengthening communities in the
rural settlement, development and assistance
for diversifcation of the economic basis,
strengthening the physical and organizational
infrastructures of settlements, while
preserving and strengthening agricultural
activity, with an affnity for the environment
and open areas.
The development plan for the rural space
has been implemented since 2006 by a
team from the Regional Rural Planning
Depar tment, by means of the district
divisions, and with the suppor t of a
professional team of consultants, which
assists in supervising the various programs,
coordinates data and assures the quality of
the programs and their compatibility with
the goals of the development plan.
Rural and Agricultural Tourism
The rural space in Israel is undergoing a
change. Alongside the efforts to maintain
agriculture as a central occupation in rural
settlement and action for maintaining open
agricultural grounds, it is necessary to form
an additional economic basis for residents of
agricultural settlements. Tourist agriculture
is part of the occupational diversifcation
of the rural space; it provides for additional
economic activity for farms, and assists
in familiarizing the general public with
agriculture. The development of tourist
agriculture and rural tourism is one of
the major economic fulcrums for rural
development, particularly in peripheral
settlements. In the last decade, thousands
of small businesses that provide various
tourism services have developed: recreation
units, dining services, comfort services, art
galleries and workshops, walking and vehicle
country tours, agricultural visitor centers
for presentation of growing and working
processes of agricultural produce, self-
picking and so on.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development considers tourist agriculture
and rural enterprising to be a fulcrum for
rural development. For the purpose of
tourism development in the rural space,
the Ministry makes available a toolbox that
consists of a range of support measures,
starting from the level of the individual
entrepreneur / farmer interested in
integrating in tourist agriculture, to the
level of the regional council as the entity
in whose jurisdiction the tourist activity is
being held.
The rural region in Israel, since the beginning
of the Zionist movement in Israel until
today, is a leading factor in the heritage
and values of Israeli society, a landscape
that combines settlement with agriculture
and open areas, development areas that
combine agriculture with current technology
and rural enterprising and a society that
encourages settlement in peripheral regions,
an active community life and rural lifestyles.
The rural settlement is spread over the
state of Israel in many different forms and
variations: kibbutzim, workers moshavim,
communal villages, communal moshavim,
community settlements and other rural
settlements; some of these settlement types
are unique to Israel.
Israeli society is one of the most urbanized in
the world. 92% of all residents of Israel live
in urban areas. In this reality, the rural space
in Israel is required to create quality, added
value and relevance for its communities and
Israeli society as a whole.
About 70% of rural settlements are in
the peripheral regions of the country.
Rural settlement has led to values and
characteristics of heritage, history, landscape
and man to land values.
In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development has been leading
a wide spectrum of processes and current
plans for rural development. This stems
from recognition of the range of changes
that have occurred and the need to lead
Development of Rural Settlement in Israel, 915 Settlements
(35 without Year of Founding)
33
1. The tourist incubator an implement that
is used to assist an entrepreneur in a moshav
or kibbutz who is not a tourism expert to
transform his idea into a tourist venture.
Tourism programs may be developed within
these incubators. After the formation of
ventures, further support may be provided
for their operation and marketing.
2. Development of tourist agriculture
integration of tourism with agriculture.
Agricultural tourism is an additional economic
branch for farming. The addition of a tourist
facet to agriculture requires investments in
infrastructure and preparation of farms /
agriculture for accommodating tourists.
3. Par ticipation in sales promotion
agricultural and rural tourism are an
instrument for familiarizing the general
public with agriculture, its branches and
products, its heritage and culture and its
workers, and for increasing revenues from
agricultural tourism. Festivals held in the
rural space represent a strong attractor
and gain considerable media coverage. A
byproduct of events in the rural region is
public familiarity with various areas and
repeat visits in their free time when the
festival or event has exposed them to the
area.
4. Tourism villages the tourism villages
program started in 1995 as a joint initiative
of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development,
the Jewish Agency, the Jewish National
Fund and the Israel Land Administration.
The implementation was through the
Israel Government Tourist Corporation.
The program has been based on the
improvement of tourist infrastructures of
villages in which there has been a transition
to tourism. The development has focused
on emphasizing the uniqueness of the
settlement and dealing with aspects that
are relevant to it and tourism, such as: the
entrance to the settlement, tourist-oriented
signage, lighting, gardening, a promenade,
connection of the settlement to tourist
trails and more. Since 1995, 32 tourism
village projects have been implemented. In
these settlements, tourism has become an
important, central source of revenue.
5. Tourism infrastructures since 2009,
the Ministry has continued to support the
development of agricultural rural tourism
infrastructures in settlements.
Courses and Training
The purpose of training and courses is
to instruct and train people working in
the rural space, particularly its leaders,
in the management and advancement of
settlements, sustainability in minor enterprise
development, sustainable tourism and more.
The courses will open a gateway and a
wider world on various subjects, provide
training in various skills and will assist in
leading rural settlements and their residents
to new horizons.
The support objectives:
1. Vocational training in the rural sector
covering organizational issues, economic
and tourism development.
2. Instructing of management personnel in
rural settlements.
3. Adopting a policy of sustainable
devel opment among resi dents and
representatives of the rural space.
4. Assistance in diversifcation of sources
of income for residents of the rural space
who leave agriculture.
Restoration of Infrastructures in Rural
Settlements
Based on a recognition of the importance of
rural development, the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development is currently leading a
national plan for restoration of infrastructures
in rural settlements in Israel. The rural
infrastructure restoration plan is intended
to bridge the gaps that have formed over
the years among the utility infrastructures
of various villages, and between them and
municipal infrastructures. This is a basis and
fulcrum for renewal of villages and their
further growth over time. According to
a government decision that was adopted
in October 2010 to commemorate the
centennial of rural settlement, a billion
shekels will be invested in the restoration
of infrastructures in rural settlements over
ten years, for an investment of 100 million
shekels per year.
The knowledge that has been accumulating
in rural development, combined with
changes and transformations that have
been occurring in the rural space and
agriculture, pose new challenges and require
innovative, current and possibly revolutionary
thinking. The Ministr y of Agriculture
and Rural Development has become a
professional resource and specializes in
rural development for the feld and for
a range of relevant governmental ministries
and organizations. The Ministry is leading
processes of research and development,
strategic planning, and novel professional
methodological development along with
professional, academic and public parties in
Israel and abroad. A network of international
and national professional contacts has
developed, which is based on accrued
knowledge, providing for infrastructure for
further development, research and current
knowledge around current issues academic,
research, planning and practical.
All planning and rural development processes
emphasize the importance of involving the
public, ensuring the visibility of planning
products, formation of a discourse around
planning processes and leading of suitable
growth changes that will position the village
in a current, contemporary place.
Based on the knowledge that has accrued
and with the intent of leading a discourse
and placing the rural space on the national
agenda, the Ministry has written a Rural
Development Guide. This is a large,
professional database, which shows the
highlights of the rural development concept
at the policy, regional and settlement
levels.
34
International Agricultural Cooperation
Cooperation
Israel places great emphasis on international
cooperation with developing countries using
extensive tools that aim to support training
and demonstrations, centers for excellence,
joint research, know-how transfer and the
exchange of experts. The hallmark of the
international cooperation program is
Israels own professional and operational
achievement, as well as its experience
in agriculture, rural development, agro-
technology and human-capacity building.
The programs and projects involve a wide
range of topics and development modalities
encompassing human-capacity building,
development demonstration projects,
appropriate agro-technologies, specialized
subject matter consultancies, research and
development (R&D), combined with other
interrelated professional and development
topics.
The international cooperation programs,
based on a demand-driven approach, are
implemented primarily on a government-
to-government basis, but also include
international organizations, institutes and
NGOs. In this context over the past fve
decades the State of Israel, through the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Agency for
International Development Cooperation
(MASHAV), and the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Developments Center for
International Agriculture Development
Cooperation (CINADCO), has been
actively involved in formulating and
conducting international development
cooperation programs in agriculture and
rural development.
Within this framework and implementation,
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development mobilizes and makes available
its entire professional human resource
base, extension services, research and
development (R&D) facilities as well as its
accumulated agricultural sector development
experience, including that of other tiers of
Israels rural agro-sector at large. Program
formulations and implementation also
network with universities and counterpart
development cooperation organizations.
The programs and projects include
international agriculture training courses
in Israel; on-the-spot courses in the various
partner countries; collaborative agriculture
research proj ects; devel opment of
demonstration-oriented agricultural project
modalities for the on-site demonstration of
agricultural know-how; trainings, appropriate
technologies and publication of learning
material.
Human Capacity Building in Israel and
Overseas
CINADCOs activities take place in Asia,
Africa, Eastern Europe, CIS Republics, the
Middle East, Latin America and Oceania.
Activities are conducted in English, Spanish,
French, Russian, Arabic and other local
languages. These training activities also
focus on R&D courses and workshops in
cooperation with the Ministrys Agricultural
Research Organization (ARO).
The program syllabus for these activities
includes professional lectures, intensive
feld studies, exploration of a wide range
of development and specialized agricultural
technologies, round-table deliberations,
project preparation, and evaluation. A wide
range of thematic topics are covered, such
as irrigation, tree crops, horticulture, poultry,
dairy and livestock, beekeeping, dryland and
arid-zone agriculture, agro-ecology, farm
management, agri-business, post-harvest
care, marketing, agricultural extension and
rural development including agro-support
services.
The overseas programs, more commonly
known as on-the-spot or mobile
courses and workshops, are an important
development component and an integral
part of CINADCOs overall human capacity-
building program, project development,
implementation and suppor t activities
management.
Devel opment Programs, Proj ect
Consultancies and Learning Resources
Agricultural demonstration - technology
transfer - capacity building project modalities,
are an impor tant and integral par t of
ClNADCOs professional and operational
agenda. Various modalities have been
developed to meet and support different
agricultural and rural resource-based
development conditions.
The prime concept of development projects
is a bottom-up development approach
35
International Agricultural Cooperation
aimed at initiating and enhancing actual
development impact at the feld level,
enabling scaling-up and linkages with regional
and country-level development.
This concept is also formulated to initiate
and support large-scale agro-projects that
can involve Public Private Partnerships (PPP)
in different arrangements and modalities
of implementation. CINADCO projects
introduce appropriate Israeli technologies,
innovations and inputs, combined with
technical know-how to create high
quality and value added market-driven
development. Demonstration sites may
also serve as Centers for Excellence
including training for human capacity and
skill development.
Israels international cooperation in agriculture
is conducted in conjunction and co-fnancing
with other donor countries. In this context
CINADCO and MASHAV seek to expand
networking with governments, international
organizations and NGOs to challenge
world development problems together.
These activities involve cooperation with
government aid organizations such as USAid,
JICA, CIDA, GIZ, and other international
technical assistance organizations.
These program and project modalities have
been established in Africa, the Middle East,
Asia and Oceania, Latin America, Central
Asia, the Caucasus, Central, South and
Eastern Europe, Euro-Asia, and in countries
including: China, Vietnam, Egypt, EI Salvador,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Jordan, Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi,
Senegal, Swaziland, Philippines, Thailand,
and many others.
The programs and projects combine
appropriate Israeli knowhow, agro-
technologies, production practices for
high-quality production output, added value
for enhanced market-driven development.
They also serve to facilitate training and
the transfer of know-how, so the host-
country agri-sector can directly observe and
evaluate agricultural production practices,
technologies, postharvest care and related
value chain activities.
CINADCO is also active in developing multi-
lingual professional publications (e.g., English,
Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish) targeted
to support the overall training, consultancy
and project development activities.
Partnerships and Networking
Israels international agricultural cooperation
program is conducted in conjunction and
partnership with donor countries and the
international community to meet the global
millennium development challenges. In this
context, CINADCO, in cooperation with
MASHAV is seeking to expand networking
with the international community to meet
the world development agenda.
Such programs and projects have a broad-
based development spectrum, ranging from
small-scale, semi-subsistence family farms
in arid and semi-arid areas up to larger
scale technology-oriented agribusiness
development. Effort is also centered on
the transfer of advanced technologies for
water conservation and irrigation effciency,
introduction of new crops and varieties,
integrated dairy development to enhance
quality milk production, improved feeding and
dairy management systems. The programs
also aim at interaction and at enhancing
public and private partnerships. Horticulture
programs involve development of improved
planting materials, nurseries, biotechnology
and practices to reduce chemicals through
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems,
methyl bromide alternatives and related
sustainable and environment-friendly
agricultural production systems.
The programs and projects are part of Israels
international development cooperation
agenda to cooperate and assist in worldwide
efforts to overcome problems stemming
from climate change, the shortage of water,
soil degradation, for food security and the
improvement of sustainable management
of limited natural resources.
Center for International Agricultural
Development Cooperation (CINADCO)
CINADCO is part of Israels Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development. Its
headquarters are located at the Ministrys
Agricultural Complex in Beit Dagan near
Tel Aviv, with the majority of CINADCOs
training activities being held at the
international training center located at
Kibbutz Shefayim .The training activities
focusing on research and development
(R&D) are conducted in cooperation with
the Agricultural Research Organization
(ARO) in Beit Dagan.
For more information, please contact:
P.O. Box 30, Beit Dagan Israel
Tel: 972-3-9485760
Fax: 972-3-9485761
E-mail: cinadco@moag.gov.il
www.cinadco.moag.gov.il
36
Biotechnology
Israeli agriculture and agriculture worldwide
will soon face new challenges resulting from
growing population fgures, rising food prices,
global warming and scarcity of high quality
water supplies. While conventional plant and
animal breeding and agro-techniques have
been instrumental in bringing about a steady
improvement in agricultural productivity in
the years since Israels establishment, the
new challenges require use of innovative
approaches, many of which rely on
biotechnological applications. Biotechnology
will be required in future agriculture to
ensure the supply of high quality food all
year round and to overcome the constraints
of conventional breeding and cultivation
procedures.
37
Biotechnology
Below is a partial list of current studies in
Major areas of agricultural biotechnology
Production of high quality improved plant
and animal germ-plasrn exploiting natural
and induced variation.
Effcient use of bio-pesticides and bio-
fertilizers for integrated pest control and
environmentally-safe use of chemicals.
Use of plants as bioreactors to produce
valuable pharmaceutical or edible vaccines
or their use as sources of oil and biomass
for renewable energy.
Environmental biotechnology: use of plants
for bioremediation.
Livestock biotechnology: breeding and
genetic manipulation for improved growth
rate, milk and egg production, and use
of DNA marker-assisted selection for
improved selection effciency.
Aquatic and marine biotechnology.
Conferring tolerance to abiotic stresses
such as drought and salinity by means of
transgenic plants.
Conferring resistance to pests including
fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and
insects by means of transgenic plants.
Utilization of genomic tools to study
metabolism, gene expression and sequence
organization at the whole genome level
to facilitate gene identifcation in order to
increase plant yield and nutritional value.
Use of cell and tissue culture for propagation
and generation of plant material free of
pathogens.
Use of benefci al mi croorgani sms
for improving plant growth and bio-
fertilization.
Recycling of agricultural and other waste
including lignin degradation; biodegradation
of pesticides and herbicides; bio-fltration
and absorption of toxic chemicals and
industrial waste.
Having the EU our major trading partner
and in order to comply with its restrictions,
Israels agriculture has never introduced
any commercial fresh product based on
genetically modifed engineering.
38
Plant Gene Bank
include conservation of rare, endangered
and endemic species.
The plant genetic resource is essential for
future breeding of cultivated varieties, such
as high-yield specimens, and those with
resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and
improved nutritional value.
Seed collection, storage, research and
Ex-situ conservation
Exper t botanists collect plant material
according to a prioritized species/habitat
list and detailed seed collection guidelines.
The collected plant sample is uniquely
labeled and documented in a designated
database. The germplasm (=seeds) are
then cleaned, dried, tested for viability and
stored in freezers at -20C for long-term
and short-term storage. In case of loss of
viability or a small amount of seeds, the IGB
propagate the selected plants.
In addition, dried specimens of the plants are
preserved for future reference as herbarium
vouchers.
Within the collaborative framework with
other seed-banks, duplicates from each seed
sample are sent for backup purposes and
safekeeping to the various institutes.
The IGB conducts and promotes research
related to the collection of genetic resources
as well as the mapping/ screening of relevant
genetic characteristics of key species.
Some of the genetic resources, mostly fruit
trees and aromatic shrubs, are kept in live
collections.
Israel is home to a wide variety of plant
species. As part of the Fertile Crescent this
region is characterized by geographic and
climatic diversity and serves as a unique
and rich center of genetic diversity of major
crop wild relatives such as cereals (wheat,
barley, oats), legumes (pea, lentil, chickpea),
fruit trees (plum, pear, fg), vegetables (onion,
carrot, cabbage), aromatic plants (sage,
fennel, oregano), and forage plants (clover,
alfalfa).
Confronted with increasing threats of
genetic erosion due to urbanization,
climate change and modern monoculture
agriculture (based on elite species with a
limited genetic diversity), the key aim of
the Israel Plant Gene Bank (IGB) is the
conservation of representative gene pools
of local plant species. IGB focuses on wild
plant species with economic agricultural and
socio-cultural potential, which are native to
the Land of Israel and the surrounding areas.
Lately, IGB has broadened its interests to
39
Plant Gene Bank
National and International Activities and
Collaboration
IGB is currently in charge of implementing
the program of conservation of national
genetic resources. IGB provides professional
and scientifc support for the sustainable
use and development of local plant genetic
resources, advanced networking, information
exchange and international cooperation, as
well as promoting public awareness of the
importance of maintaining the countrys
plant biodiversity.
One of the IGBs greatest contributions
through scientifc collaboration is by
providing an accessible source of plant
material for applied research, under
international
No. of species
which were
regenerated
Among them
endangered-
species
No. of wild-
plant species*
No. of seed-
specimens
56 212 860 4,499
Summary of IGB new seeds collection between 2007- 2011
*Out of ~ 2,400 local wild species
40
Vegetables
The vegetable growing sector in Israel
accounts for about 24% of total agricultural
production in the country and about 40%
of total horticultural production. In 2010,
production exceeded 2.3 million tons -
intended for consumption in the domestic
market, for export of fresh products to
Europe and the USA, and raw material for
industrial processing and canning.
Israel is outstanding for its ability in the
vegetable growing feld, developing
objective-based technologies, in accordance
with changing environmental conditions,
the needs of consumers and the means
at its disposal.
The vegetable growing sector in Israel enjoys
the beneft of a national-public instructing
system. In addition, there are R&D stations
in different climatic regions and a national
research center, which enable the ongoing
improvement and development of the
vegetable growing sector.
Year-round production and an uninterrupted
supply of vegetable crops were made possible
due to exploitation of a number of factors
in the production process, including:
Production in different regions
Production in protected conditions
Exploitation of regional climatic conditions
and production in different seasons
Introduction of new crops and new
species
There has been an expansion of production
in protected conditions (green houses,
high tunnels & net houses), and it now
covers about 9,000 hectares in which a
wide variety of vegetables are grown. The
main vegetables are table tomatoes, cherry
tomatoes, peppers, green herbs, spring and
winter sown watermelons and melons, leafy
vegetables intended for the Kosher market,
eggplants and strawberries. The latter two
are grown in smaller quantities than the
other vegetables mentioned.
Production in greenhouses, walk-in tunnels
and shade-houses enables the following:
Protection of the plants from natural
disasters
Ability to produce in different climatic and
regional conditions
Si gni fcant i ncrease i n yi el ds and
improvement in quality
Reduction of plant pests which transfer
viral diseases and cause direct damage
to the plants
Signifcant reduction in the use of
pesticides
41
Vegetables
About 60,000 hectares of vegetable varieties,
adapted to specifc climatic conditions, are
grown in open felds. They include potatoes,
carrots, onions, garlic, leafy vegetables,
sweet potatoes, summer-sown melons and
watermelons. This is in addition to vegetables
destined for industrial processing, such as
tomatoes, corn, peas and cucumbers for
pickling.
Production for export is a major source
of income for Israels vegetable growers,
especially in the Arava in the southern
part of the country, known for its unique
climatic conditions in the winter months.
These conditions enable production of high-
quality vegetables for export, conforming
to the highest European and international
standards and standardization, ensuring
food safety.
On the other hand, Israels northern regions
specialize in open-feld summer vegetable
production for industrial processing and
canning.
Among the professional achievements
which have had a crucial infuence on the
formulation of the vegetable branch in the
last decade the following are worthy of
particular mention:
Application of a growing method on
substrate in regions where the soil is
unsuitable for growing crops
Introduction of new high-yielding and
high-quality species which are pathogen-
resistant
Introduction of labor-saving technologies
and means especially in open felds
Improvement and control of climate
condi ti ons i n protected growi ng
systems
Application of Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) methods
Introduction of modern irrigation methods
based on procedures for control of
irrigation and fertilization
Application of post-harvest methods,
means and treatment to lengthen shelf
life and prevent rotting
42
Field Crops
Field crops require a high degree of
mechanization. In Israel, these crops are
grown on about 175,000 hectares, 130,000
of which are planted with winter crops:
Wheat for grain and silage; barley for grain,
hay and grazing and legumes for hay and
seeds. About 45,000 hectares are planted
with spring and summer crops, such as
cotton, sunfowers, corn and sorghum for
silage, corn for grains, chickpeas, green
peas, beans, sweet corn, corn for popcorn,
industrial tomatoes, groundnuts (peanuts),
and watermelon for seeds (for snacks).
Most of these summer crops are irrigated
using modern technologies rather than by
natural rainfall.
The value of feld crops reached $1,100
million in 2011, of which $125 million were
from exports (mainly cotton, groundnuts
and sunfower seeds). Most feld crops
produce high yields and are of superior
quality - the result of joint efforts between
R&D and Extension personnel, related
institutions, and the growers.
Winter Crops
Wheat
Most of the 100,000 hectares of wheat
are sown for grain, while a further 24,000
hectares are grown for silage and hay,
constituting a major component in feed
for dairy herds. Between 2.5 to 6.2 tons of
grains are harvested per hectare, depending
on the region and the amount of annual
rainfall received. Most of these grains are
produced and sold as four in the domestic
market. Between 8 to 12 dry-matter tons
of silage or hay are reaped per hectare.
Winter wheat is largely a non-irrigated
crop, and therefore yields are dependent
on the amount of rainfall and its distribution
throughout the winter months. Wheat for
grain is grown mostly in the countrys dry
southern regions and the northeastern
interior valleys, enabling the extensive use
of agricultural land.
43
Field Crops
Barley
10,000 hectares of barley are sown for grain,
hay and graze. Between 0.5 to 2 tons of
grain and between 3 to 6 dry-matter tons of
silage or hay are harvested per hectare.
Barley is a non-irrigated crop, and therefore
yields are dependent on the amount of
rainfall and its distribution throughout
the winter months. Barley is grown in the
countrys dry southern region.
Oats
Most of the 5,000 hectares of oat are sown
for hay and between 8 to 12 dry-matter
tons are reaped per hectare.
Oat is a non-irrigated crop, and therefore
yields are dependent on the amount of
rainfall and its distribution throughout the
winter months.
Spring, Summer and Perennial
Crops
Chickpeas
About 6,000 hectares of chickpeas are
grown and a yield of three tons per irrigated
hectare was achieved in 2011. The entire
crop is grown for the local market, which
was developed and expanded in recent
years.
Breeders, together with growers, are making
efforts to increase the crops value and
adjust it to market needs by developing
unique varieties, including a very large white
chickpea and disease-resistant varieties.
Sunfowers
In 2011 sunfowers for seeds covered an
area of about 800 hectares. About 70%
of the yield is targeted for export. Israeli-
developed sunfower grains are known for
their excellent size and quality. Some of
the new sunfower varieties are known
for their resistance to Broomrape as well
as for their particularly large seeds with
attractive coloring. Most sunfower crops
are drip-irrigated, achieving signifcant
savings in water: 1,800-2,500 m
3
of water
are suffcient to produce two to three tons
per hectare.
Corn for silage and grains
About 4.0 thousand hectares of corn are
sown for silage and about 2.4 thousand
hectares are sown for grains. The yield of
silage is between 17 to 22 dry-matter tons
per hectare, and between 11 to 15 tons
of grain are harvested per hectare. Most
of the felds are irrigated by drippers with
Israeli-made equipment and the rest by
sprinklers.
Sorghum for silage
About 1.5 thousands hectares of sorghum
are sown for silage, two-thirds of the felds
being harvested once and a third harvested
twice. The yield of silage in one harvest is
between 11 to 14 dry-matter tons per
hectare and in two harvests, between 20
to 23 ton per hectare. Most of the felds
are irrigated by drippers with Israeli-made
equipment and the rest by sprinklers.
Groundnuts
About 3,000 hectares of groundnuts were
grown in 2011, valued at $42.3 million. Most
of the crop is grown in light soils in the
south of Israel.
About 65% of Israels groundnuts, which are
characterized by a very large yellow nut,
are exported and sold in their shells for
specialty niche markets in Europe.
Cotton
Israel produces high-quality cotton. The
entire cotton yield is exported, mainly to
Europe and the Far East. Israeli long-fber
cotton fetches between 5 to 10 cents
per pound more than the usual market
prices.
The value of cotton production for 2011
was about $ 63.5 million. Almost the entire
8,500 hectares of cotton crop are drip-
irrigated with Israeli-made equipment. Israels
cotton yields per land unit are among the
highest in the world, averaging 5.8 tons per
hectare for raw Acala Cotton, with 2.2 tons
of fbers, and 5.3 tons per hectare for raw
Pima Cotton, with 1.9 tons of fbers.
The cotton sector is totally mechanized.
The introduction of effuents for irrigation
has contributed to a signifcant reduction in
growing costs. Cotton seeds, a by-product of
fber processing, are used in the manufacture
of animal feed.
Implementation of New Technologies
The last few years has seen a steady decline
in the proftability of the feld crop industry.
To deal with this situation, Israeli farmers
are investing in the implementation of
advanced technologies and relatively high-
cost machinery, such as Global Positioning
Sensors (GPS) and Geographical Information
Systems (GIS) for precision, no-till and
minimum-till agriculture, in order to reduce
long-term labor and other input costs.
44
Fruit
In 2011, the area covered by fruit orchards,
excluding citrus groves, was about 37,000
hectares. In addition, there are 21,000
hectares of oil olives grown without
additional irrigation, mostly in the Arab
sector.
Produce reached 690,000 tons of fruit in
2011. The main fruit crops are bananas,
146,000 tons; apples, 110,000 tons;
avocados, 90,000 tons; and table grapes,
75,000 tons. Fruit accounts for 20% of the
total agricultural production in Israel. Even
though most of the fruit production is for
local consumption, in 2011 Israel exported
55,000 tons of avocados, 18,000 tons of
persimmons, 15,000 tons of mangoes,
15,000 tons of dates and 16,000 tons of
pomegranates.
The varied climate lends itself to a wide
variety of fruit crops. In hilly and mountainous
areas, for example, deciduous fruit trees,
which have chilling requirements, are grown,
while in the coastal plain or valleys, tropical
and subtropical fruit trees can be grown.
In the arid Arava, dates are grown successfully.
Due to the varied climate and the advanced
technologies for growing fruit trees under
protected conditions (greenhouses and
shade-houses) during the cold season, fruit
can also be picked out of season, thereby
prolonging the marketing period and
improving fruit quality.
Average Yield
(tons/ha)
Fruit
50 Apples
35 Pears
18 Plums
30 Peaches
26 Table grapes
65 Bananas
18 Avocados
25 Mangoes
15 Dates
Yields of Selected Fruits 2011
45
Fruit
A number of leading growers have succeeded
in reaching peak yields in Israel, for example:
apples, 90 tons/ha; bananas, 100 tons/ha;
plums, 50 tons/ha; peaches and nectarines,
70 tons/ha; mangoes, 75 tons/ha; and pears,
50 tons/ha.
Storage
The use of advanced technologies enables
the marketing of high quality fruit which
can reach the overseas consumer a few
days after picking.
Fruit can also be stored under refrigeration
for long periods. Advanced storage
technologies are employed in the cooling
houses and sorting and packing facilities,
as well as in the domestic and export
distribution network.
Mechanization
Several mechanical means have been
developed in order to increase the effciency
of handling fruit. For example, a hydraulic
lift with a booth allows the worker to
reach the highest branches. The lift can
be steered, guided from tree to tree and
raised or lowered to the desired height. In
addition to the standard model, a particularly
high model has been developed for picking
dates.
Research and Development
The growing of fruit in substrate culture has
resulted in improved quality, characterized by
larger fruit and increased vegetative growth,
particularly in heavy and alkaline soils. Mango
is the most outstanding example.
Better fruit quality has also been achieved
by using multi-colored shade nets, which
improve the microclimate in the orchard.
In recent years, the fruit branch has taken the
lead in developing phyto-monitoring systems
which enable better quality management,
control and supervision, mainly with regard
to the irrigation process and effcient water
management.
One of the main goals of the fruit branch
is examination of new species and varieties,
some of them exotic, in order to expand
the selection of products and extend
the marketing season, with an eye to the
European consumer. These include pitaya,
papaya, passifora, guava, raspberry and
other small fruits. There is a local breeding
program for development of new varieties,
focusing on table grapes, mangoes and
avocados.
46
Citrus
The citrus production of Israel is designated
for three destinations:
190,000 tons for export
180,000 tons for the local market
230,000 tons for the juice industry
Israel exports its citrus products mainly to
the European markets (70%) and to the
Russian market (20%).
Citrus fruit exported from Israel travels to
45 different countries all over the world,
from Argentina and the U.S.A in the west,
to China, Australia, Japan and Korea in the
east.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and the Plant Production
and Marketing Board, are making a big effort
to develop and promote new markets for
Israeli citrus fruit.
Environment-Friendly Fruit
There is a growing awareness of the
impor tance of ecologically-oriented
agriculture. This has led to the development
of green fruit, which is grown with minimal
use of chemicals, to reduce interfering
with the ecosystem or harming the
environment.
Production is carried out according to
the quality management requirements of
the European market, in compliance with
EurepGAP 2000 principles, ISO standards
and crop management protocols.
As part of the policy to reduce the use of
chemicals, 65% of Israels citrus groves have
instituted Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
programs, which use natural control agents
such as parasitic wasps and predator insects,
thus minimizing the need for chemicals.
Development of new citrus is presently
being geared to attain a lower seed content,
longer shelf-life, attractive appearance and
a longer marketing season. The intention
has been to extend the area size of citrus
easy peeler varieties, which is preferred by
consumers to traditional orange varieties.
Model groves of newly developed easy
peelers, which have been planted in various
areas across the State of Israel, have already
shown promising commercial potential. One
of the leading new varieties, Or, which
was developed in Israel, is one of the most
requested fruits in Europe and provides the
growers with good returns.
Rootstocks traditionally used in the past
have been replaced by new ones, such as
VolkaMariana, Troyer, C-35, and Rangpur,
according to the variety, and type of soil
and water.
In 2011, 600,000 tons of citrus fruit were
produced in Israel from 18,200 hectares of
orchards. In 2012, 1,500 hectares of new
citrus orchards will be planted.
In recent years, the citrus sector in Israel has
been undergoing changes as it introduced
new agrotechnologies to facilitate improved
operations, including the planting of new
citrus varieties.
Israel markets a wide variety of oranges,
grapefruits, easy peelers, and lemons, as well
as a range of more exotic citrus fruit.
The traditional Shamouti orange is still
Israels important citrus product. Other
varieties of oranges exported include the
Valencia Late and the Navel.
In the past, the white grapefruit, originally
cultivated in inland valleys, was one of the
main varieties grown and exported from
Israel. This variety has been replaced by
the Star-Ruby variety (Sunrise), whose peel
and fesh have a red tint, and the Sunrise
is now the major product of Israeli citrus
exports.
New easy-peeling varieties such as Or,
Orah, Rishon, Hadas and others were
developed for export and for the local
market and have been planted on a very
large scale in recent years.
Israel produces exotic citrus varieties, such
as lime, kumquat (Chinese orange), limequat
(a cross between lime and kumquat), and
both red and white pummelos.
47
Citrus
New Trends
The citrus sector, which has fuctuated over
the years, has concentrated on increasing
the effciency of its operations, introducing
new methods and, in addition to the new
varieties developed, increasing efforts to
meet changing market demands, while
bringing citrus farmers greater returns.
Citrus marketing has changed considerably
in the last decade, from marketing by a
monopoly - the Citrus Marketing Board of
Israel (CMBI, which due to reorganization
is now part of the Plants Production and
Marketing Board) - to private marketing
entities authorized by the CMBI to compete
on the open markets.
Currently, there are 50 authorized Israeli
citrus exporters.
Yield per Hectare in tons Variety
42.5 Oranges
65.0 Grapefruit
35.0 Easy peelers
50.0 Lemons
20.0 Exotics
Citrus Varieties and Yields
Source: Plants Production and Marketing Board/Central Bureau of Statistics
48
Organic agriculture has been considered
as an alternative approach to conventional
farming since the 1940s. However, the
turning point came in the late I 970s when
Mario Levi, a member of Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu,
started promoting organic farming as a real
alternative and proved that it was proftable
and could generate income.
Grown under intensive-production systems,
crop yields, quality and profts often equal
and even exceed those of conventionally-
grown crops.
Organic farms in all parts of the country
use specifc production areas to provide
a year-round supply of a wide variety of
fresh, quality products.
Standards and Inspection
The Israeli organic standard follows those
instituted by its main target market, the EU
countries, and organic production complies
with EU 2091/92 regulations and IFOAM
standards. Exporters to the United States
are obliged to comply with the rules and
regulations of the National Organic Program
(NOP) of the United States Department
of Agriculture.The Plant Protection and
Inspection Services (PPIS) of Israels Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development is
responsible for inspection of fresh organic
produce.
Most of organic growers in Israel are
members of the Israel Bio-Organic
Agriculture Association (IBOAA), an IFOAM-
affliated member. They are also members of
Agro Bio Mediterranean (ABM), comprising
organic farmers and organizations from
Mediterranean countries. The IBOAA
promotes, disseminates and develops local
organic know-how through courses, feld
trips, extension activities, and marketing.
It has set a target for organic agriculture
to reach a 10% share of total agricultural
production in the coming years.
All IBOAA activities focus on promoting
the development of a human, animal and
environment friendly industry that also offers
economic viability and opportunities for
employment, excellence and technological
progress.
Crops by Region
The Jordan Valley in the east and the Arava
Valley in the south are the main suppliers of
fresh vegetables in the winter. High levels of
solar radiation and the relatively hot climate
throughout the year are conducive to the
growing of sweet peppers and tomatoes,
which are exported primarily to Europe
and the United States.
Organic farming accounts for about only
1.5% of total agricultural production
in Israel, yet it represents 10% of fresh
produce exports. Organic agriculture has
become one of the fastest growing sectors,
achieving an annual growth rate of 10%.
Today, 600 farmers cultivate 7,500 hectares
of organically-grown crops.
Organic farming in Israel complies with
international principles and standards.
The new principles recently approved by
the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) General
Assembly form the cornerstone of Israeli
organic farming.
Organic Agriculture
49
Potatoes and carrots are the main crops
produced in the Western Negev desert,
where the soils are light or medium light
and the climate is warm. Organic potatoes
are exported mainly to the UK, while carrots
are exported mainly to Eastern Europe. Both
crops are grown in rotation with potatoes,
carrots, parsnips, onions, celery, paprika,
and peanuts, thereby upholding one of the
basic requirements for successful organic
farming.
The northern valleys produce feld crops,
mainly cotton, tomatoes for industrial
processing, and sweet corn, followed by
chickpeas and organic seed crops.
Cotton is an outstanding example of
an organically-grown crop, which until a
few years ago was unheard of or even
unthinkable, as pesticides were standard
procedure in conventionally grown cotton.
The introduction of organic agriculture
practices has had little, if any, negative effect
on the crops natural life cycle.
Organic orchards exist all over the country.
The main crops are dates in the Arava and
Jordan valleys, and avocado and citrus in other
regions. These crops are mostly destined for
export. Fruits grown organically for the local
market include olives, mangos, apples, stone
fruits, fgs, wine and table grapes.
Demand for organic produce in Israel is
still growing, and organic produce is now
widely available in the supermarket chains as
well as in health-food stores. Production of
organic olives is also expanding, with produce
directed mainly at the local market.
Processed Organic Products and Inputs
Processing of organic produce has also
developed in recent years. A wide range of
products are canned, frozen, or extracted for
oil. The agro-industry sector produces inputs
to support and provide organic farming with
the specifc inputs it needs. These include;
compost, plant nutrition additives, pesticides,
and irrigation equipment.
50
Floriculture
Acclimatization of new varieties of cut
fowers and of many other varieties are
grown in Israel, including Solidago, Gypsophila,
Wax Flowers, Roses, Ornamental plants,
Limonium, Lisianthus (Eustoma), Gerbera,
Hypericum, Ranunculus, Ornithogalum and
Anemone. New varieties include: acclimatized
summer fowers from Europe, which are
picked and exported mainly during Europes
winter season; various acclimatized fowers
indigenous to the Southern Hemisphere;
improved varieties; and acclimatized native
wild fowers that have commercial potential.
During the last few years fowers of the
geophyte section constitute a bigger part
of the total production of cut fowers.
Many new varieties have been developed
to suit the changing demands of the world
markets, ranging from fragrant, colorful and
fruit-bearing branches to fowers that are
considered environment-friendly. Israeli
fower growers have been complying
with EurepGAP (European Retailers
Protocol for Good Agricultural Practices)
projects to promote fower production
with the smallest possible harm to man
and environment. Recently the growers
have considered joining the MPS standard,
developed in Holland.
Seasonal Production
Originally, emphasis was placed on
developing growing methods for winter
fower production, through greenhouse
and climate-control technologies. Today,
some 60% of all fower produce is grown
year-round in advanced, computerized
greenhouses and other accomplishing
technologies.
Direct Marketing
The fower sector is based mainly on direct
contacts between the local growers and
their regular customers abroad. Most of the
fowers are sold directly by Israeli growers to
auctions in Western Europe. Other smaller
markets are the USA and Eastern Europe.
Minor quantities are exported to Asian
countries, mainly Japan.
The largest Israeli expor ter of fresh
agri cul tural produce - Agrexco (a
company formerly owned jointly by the
government and farmers) was sold to a
private entrepreneur, while several other
exporters of fresh produce increased their
volume at the expense of Agrexcos previous
share. The chain of post-harvest handling
and storage from picking until delivery to
the end-user in Europe is strictly kept, in
order to guarantee the highest standards
of quality and reliability.
In the past most fowers and ornamentals,
which are perishable products, were shipped
from Israel to Europe by cargo planes
on regularly scheduled fights. This has
been gradually changed to reduce costs.
Following improved post-harvest practices
and logistics, sea shipment has become a
feasible alternative.
Online Information
Using email and the Internet as a regular
communication channel and data source,
growers rely on it for decision making both
for marketing and production. When the
fowers are ready for marketing the grower
may make use of his own data to channel
the fowers to the right destination. Upon
entering several details relating to quantities
Flowers and ornamental plants accounted
for about 8.0% of Israels total fresh
agricultural export (in 2010). About 5,000
hectares are dedicated to the production
of fowers, with the typical farm size being
about 5 hectares. Some 800 million cut
fowers (65% of the total production)
are exported throughout the year, mainly
to Europe. The foriculture sector in our
countr y is technologically advanced.
Accelerated R&D efforts combined with
prompt knowhow transfer by the Extension
Service, shortened the time needed for
innovations (new varieties and improved
technologies) to be adopted by experienced
growers. Consequently, a large selection of
more than hundred varieties of high-quality
fowers are grown and marketed. There has
been a decrease in the number of Israeli
growers, due to increasing competition from
abroad and the recent economic recession
in target markets.
In the past, traditional varieties (such as rose,
gerbera and carnation) accounted for about
80% of total fower production, but currently
make up less than 30%. Today, these fowers
are perceived rather as commodities and are
mostly grown in African countries, while the
Israeli foriculture sector is increasingly being
based on niche products (see Table 1).

51
Floriculture
and qualities of the available products,
in return the grower receives relevant
market information that is essential for
actual decision making. Moreover, online
information is available to the grower
throughout the production cycle.
The Extension Service website includes
economic information on fower production
and handling instructions, and guidelines on
disease prevention, pest control, fertilization,
and processing, as well as information
about planned feld days, study days and
courses.
Plants, Propagation Material and Flower Bulbs
Israel expor ts a variety of ornamental
plants and propagation material, including
cuttings, seedlings for the home garden, cut
fowers, pot plants, tissue culture material,
bulbs, corms and seeds. Exports of these
products are constantly on the increase due
to rising demands for high quality products,
with Israeli producers having the know-how
to meet the high standards required by
European and American customers. Israel
also produces a wide range of fower bulbs,
many of which are unique to the country.
The bulbs are used for cut fowers, as well
as for garden and pot plants. In addition to
propagation material, Israel exports a wide
variety of pot plants as a fnished product
(see Table 2).
Total Exported stemsX1000 Variety
52,612 Wax Flowers
71,719 Gypsophila
123,957 Ruscus
68,344 Aralia
61,128 Pittosporum
40,498 Aspidistra
23,940 Solidago
61,038 Anemone
41,217 Ranunculus
786,325 Others
786,325 Total
Table 1: Total quantity of exported cut fowers in 2011
Quantity X 1000 Product
405,700 Cuttings
43,840 Bulbs
3,980 Plants
Table 2: Total quantity of exported plants and propagation material in 2011
52
Dairy Cattle
and feeding systems, cow-cooling systems
(designed for heat-stress relief during harsh,
hot and humid summers), as well as milk
processing equipment (such as mini-dairies),
consultancy, and joint international project
development.
Israeli-Holstein genetic sources have
the potential for better adaptation and
performance under hot climatic conditions,
a fact that makes impor t of cows and
frozen semen from Israel very attractive
to countries with similar conditions.
The achievements of Israels dairy sector have
been made possible by the development of
an effcient system, an integrative approach,
and a combination of additional factors,
including:
The Israeli Herd-book
The Israeli Herd-book, managed by the
Israel Cattle Breeders Association (ICBA),
is a computerized databank allowing users
to trace milk yield, content and quality, as
well as the genealogy, fertility, and health
data of every cow in the country.
Breeding
By and large, Israels dair y herd is
genetically made up of Israeli-Holstein
cows, characterized by their adaptability
to harsh and varied climatic conditions.
Most Israeli herds are included in the
Herd-book progeny test, and the majority
of the cows are inseminated with semen
collected and processed from Israeli sires.
Israel has the potential to export high quality
semen, mainly to regions with harsh climatic
conditions.
Feeding
Israel has zero-grazing for dairy cows (and
some for beef cattle); hence, most of the
dairy herds nutrition is based on a total
mixed ration (TMR). The milk-cow TMR
contains 33% - 35% of forages (OM basis;
mainly wheat silage); the rest is concentrates
(grain and meals) and by-products. Some
65% of the Israeli dairy-herd-TMRs are
produced in regional feed centers and
delivered to herds in the area. The relatively
high proportion of agricultural and industrial
by-products in the diet of Israeli cows lowers
In 2010, dairy and beef herds accounted
for 14.5% of Israels total agricultural
production: 10% from milk and dairy
products and 4.5% from beef products.
The dairy sector supplies more than 80%
of the countrys dairy requirements, with
production potential greatly exceeding
domestic needs. Production is regulated
by a planning and quota policy, which is
currently undergoing structural changes, with
emphasis on environmental aspects.
Israels dairy industry faces the challenge
of meeting the demand for milk and dairy
products in a country whose population has
increased ten-fold since its establishment
in 1948.
Milk consumption per capita totals 180 liters
per year. According to fgures published
by the Israel Dairy Board (Production and
Marketing), average milk yield per cow
has increased two and half times since the
1950s, from 3,900 kg annually to 11,448 kg
in 2010. The percentage of fat and protein
rose sharply over the years to 3.66% fat
content and 3.24% protein content by
2010. The annual fat and protein yield per
cow in Israel is the highest in the world
(over 765 kg).
Israels dairy product and technology exports
include advanced and computerized milking
Israel milk recording data: milk and milk solids production from
1995 to 2010 (kg/cow/year)
10,000
10,500
11,000
11,500
12,000
12,500
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
300
320
340
360
380
400
420
440
Fat (kg) Protein (kg) Milk (kg)
53
Dairy Cattle
feeding costs and reduces environmental
contamination. In order to facilitate feed
processing and reduce overloading, special
machinery, such as mobile and self-propelled
wagons, has been developed.
Technologies
Israels dairy industry employs locally-
developed advanced technologies that have
changed the industry through automation,
facilitating strict controls. This eases the
workload and ensures that operations
comply with prescribed standards and
are highly proftable. For example, a fow-
meter is attached to the milking equipment,
automatically measuring the milk fow and
milking duration. It is also used as a means
of early detection of mastitis and udder
infection by measuring milk conductivity. A
tag containing an activity-meter is used to
identify the cow and transmit the information
to the computer regarding the cows general
activity, detecting sick cows as well as those
in estrus. Other recently developed tags
have the ability to detect daily rumination
duration and lying-duration, supplying
information about a cows nutritional and
welfare status.
Linear programming software developed in
Israel assists in formulating the lowest cost
rations for optimized feeding and production
programs. A feed controller, a mobile unit
attached to the mixing wagon which stores
group-feeding data, is used to download
the data to the main computer. The data
are also linked to the herd management
software to generate intake reports per
head or group.
Cooling systems developed in Israel are
used in most dairy herds, helping to maintain
relatively high production and fertility levels
in the summer, and to reduce production
seasonality.
Milk Processing
After milking, the milk is subjected to
laboratory and quality testing. It is then
pasteurized, following which it can be used
in the manufacture of butter, yogurt, cheese
and other dairy products by fully automated
systems. Israel offers consumers a wide
range of over 1,000 dairy products.
Beef
Israels dairy herds supply 45% of the
countrys demand for fresh red meat. The
rest of local market demand is met by beef
breed herds located in grazing areas and by
young bulls imported for local fattening.
The Structure of Dai ry Farmi ng
Production
Dairy farms are located on Kibbutzim
(collective farms) accounting for almost 60%
of national production and on Moshavim
(cooperative family farms) accounting for
almost 40% of national production. Family
dairy farms average 74 milking cows per
farm, while the kibbutz average is 391 milking
cows per dairy herd.
Planning
Dairy farming is subject to production
quotas set by the Dairy Board; prices are
controlled by the Government. According
to special Governmental regulations, no
dairy farm is allowed to produce or market
unprocessed milk. This helps maintain the
balance between supply and demand in the
sector, while allowing continued growth and
reasonable proftability.
54
Israels poultry sector accounts for almost
one-ffth of the countrys total agricultural
output. Per capita consumption of broiler
and turkey meat and eggs is among the
highest in the world. In addition, ostriches
are raised for leather and meat, primarily
for export.
About 1.8 billion table eggs, 430,000
tons of broiler meat and 92,000 tons of
turkey meat are produced each year. Hot
climate conditions in Israel necessitated the
development of highly productive, disease-
resistant poultry breeds.
Characterized by excellent feed conversion
rates, a rapid growth rate, high egg production
(an average of 250 eggs per layer per year)
and low-fat meat, local strains of chicken are
widely exported, particularly to countries
with exceptionally hot climates.
Poultry
The raising and breeding of broiler chickens
is the most prominent sector of Israels
poultry industry, accounting for more than
60 percent of poultry output. Breeder and
broiler farms, as well as meat processing
plants, are fully automated, rendering annual
meat yields of 210 kg per square meter
of broiler house. Egg production includes,
inter alia, organic and omega-3 enriched
products as well as eggs from free-range
chickens.
Israel is the worlds largest per capita
consumer of turkey meat. A wide array
of processed turkey products are also
expor ted, mainly to Western Europe.
Extensive automation, strict hygienic
conditions, and development of disease-
resistant breeds contribute signifcantly to
high meat production.
55
An automated weighing system provides
early detection of disease and monitors
optimal weight, while computerized feed
dispensers monitor control food quantities.
R&D has also led to the development of
a monochromatic red light that stimulates
laying productivity.
Other areas of research deal with in-embryo
chicken development. Israeli researchers
found that early feeding in the embryo
stage improves broiler growth. They also
found that manipulation of the temperature
to which the embryo is exposed in the
hatchery can reduce the impact of heat
stress on the broiler.
Technology plays a key role in Israels poultry
industry. Equipment has been developed in
Israel to improve production and effciency.
One example is an automatic egg collector
that cuts man hours in half compared with
manual collection.
Other innovations include a unique drinking
system and durable plastic slat fooring to
enhance hygienic conditions and improve
fock health. Sophisticated control systems
have been developed to maintain optimal
levels of humidity, heat, lighting, feed and
ventilation in henhouses around the clock.
Wall and ceiling insulation effectively blocks
95% of solar radiation. Special lighting systems
save up to 80% in electricity costs.
56
Aquaculture
focusing on culture of Gilthead Sea-Bream
in a few cage farms off the Mediterranean
coast.
Inland Aquaculture
Despite being territorially small, Israel has
diverse climate conditions. Most of the
country is semi-arid, with a distinct short
winter (wet and cold) season and a long
summer (dry and hot) season. The average
rainfall is relatively low, around 500 mm,
with a large variation between 900 mm in
the Upper Galilee to less than 100 mm in
the southern desert named Arava.
Israel has been facing chronic water shortage
for many decades. In spite of the obvious
climatic constraints and overall shortage
of water, both agriculture and aquaculture
succeeded in developing into thriving
industries.
In order to cope with these impediments,
different solutions and methods aimed at
maximizing water use and enabling the
production of fresh edible fsh have been
developed, including:
Reservoirs to store rainwater during the
wet season; many of which are used for fsh
culture in integrated farming systems.
Large-scale recirculating systems, in which
water from outdoor fsh ponds, raceways
and tanks, is passed into sediment ponds
to remove the solids.
Highly-intensive recirculating systems that
incorporate water fltration devices, such
as drum flters, biological flters, protein
skimmers and oxygen injection systems.
Greenhouse technology was adopted from
desert vegetable and fower agriculture
and includes environmental control, i.e.
humidity, temperature, light and radiation.
These conditions are important in arid
areas, which have large temperature
changes between day and night and
summer and winter.
Fish culture in Israel, started about 70 years
ago, is practiced mainly in inland aquaculture.
The leading species are freshwater fsh
tilapias, common carp and grey mullet
constituting together some 95% of total
production. Israel is the most northern
country in the world where tilapias are
cultured in open systems. However,
this necessitated the development of
technologies to cope with the low winter
temperatures. In addition, a few farms also
produce grass carp, silver carp, black carp,
hybrid striped bass, barramundi, rainbow
trout, sturgeon and African catfsh. Aside
from these edible species, the industry
produces a variety of coldwater and tropical
ornamental fsh. During the last two decades
a mariculture branch has been developed,
The Israeli Aquaculture by Sources
Number of farms 40
Total Area 2000 ha
Annual Production 20000 ton
57
Aquaculture
Aquaculture activities in reservoirs began in
the late 1970s. A typical reservoir has 8-20
ha of surface area, a depth of 5-14m, and
holds 500,000-1,000,000 m
3
of water.
Fish can be successfully reared in irrigation
reservoirs; however, without appropriate
facilities or technology to harvest them,
there is no biological or economical meaning
to this culture system. In early reservoirs,
small earthen ponds located next to the
reservoir were used for harvesting the
fsh.
An outlet pipe installed at the deep end of
the reservoir drained the fsh along with
water left over at the end of the season.
The quantities of fsh drained into the
harvesting concrete tank were determined
according to the daily handling capacity of
the crew, say 20 tons. From there the fsh
are elevated to grading tables, sorted by
size and species, counted and weighed and
transferred in tanks to separate holding
ponds. This method made Israeli fsh-farmers
very effcient, and the reservoirs have the
worlds best ratio of output to production
area 20 t/ha.
Mariculture
The Israeli mariculture sector grows fsh in
either land-based or off-shore farms. The
expansion of this sector is limited by low
availability of suitable sites for land-based
farms, and by the rough conditions in the
eastern Mediterranean. The main product
(98%) of Israeli mariculture is Gilthead
Sea-Bream. Marine fsh hatcheries produce
around 15 million fngerlings annually.
Research and Development (R&D)
The Ministr y of Agriculture & Rural
Development operates four R&D units
supporting inland aquaculture, and a few
others are operated by universities and
research institutes. Mariculture research
is mainly done at the National Center for
Mariculture in Eilat.
The major research topics include: Nutrition
and feed ingredients, health aspects, genetics
and biotechnology, management and culture
technologies, environmental issues, and
introduction of new species.
Fish Species
58
Beekeeping
Israels Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, together with the Honey
Marketing Board, have been involved in a
large-scale project to increase the availability
of nectar and pollen by planting trees and
bushes. The intention is to enrich the
potential of nectar by planting primary
nectar-source trees along the highways,
railways and uncultivated land all over the
country.
Economically speaking, honey production is
a relatively marginal part of the signifcance
of beekeeping; its major importance lies
in the pollination of various crops, which
would otherwise be futile since they are
pollinated exclusively or primarily by the
honeybee.
The Israeli bee, originally bred from selected
local stock, Apis Mellifera Syriaca, is relatively
defensive (aggressive) and is diffcult to work
with in modern apiaries. Over the years, this
bee has been crossbred with introduced
strains, in an attempt to moderate its
temperament. Today the most common
bees in Israel are the Italian Bees, which were
imported from the USA. The Italian bee is
generally non-aggressive and is considered a
good honey producer. A long-term breeding
program aims to produce docile bees, which
are relatively easy to manage and produce
a good honey crop. The present Italian Bees
are tolerant to the most damaging bee
pest, Varroa destructor, the main enemy
of honey bees anywhere.
Honey Production
Israel produces about 3,200 tons of honey
annually, with the yield per hive varying
from 20-30 kg for small-scale beekeepers
to 50-60 kg for large commercial apiaries.
(The difference is based on the fact that
commercial beekeepers migrate their hives
3-4 times a year to different bee pastures.) In
the past, 40% of Israeli honey was produced
from citrus blossoms. Today however, due
to the uprooting of citrus groves and
changes of citrus cultivars, it is diffcult to
produce a typical citrus honey. Most of
the Israeli honey is usually produced from
a wide variety of wild fowers, herbs, thistles,
eucalyptus trees, orchards and legumes.
Local annual honey consumption amounts
to 4,000 tons, and the annual turnover is
about $15 million.
Pollination
One of the most important aspects of
beekeeping is the use of bees as indispensable
pollinators for many agricultural crops such
as avocadoes, almonds, apples and plums,
melons, cucumbers, sunfowers, strawberries,
winter vegetables and many seed crops.
Distribution of Bee Farms According to Size
The Old Testament tells us that Israel
is the Land of Milk and Honey. Indeed,
traditional log hives, found in archaeological
excavations in Tel-Rehov in the Beit- Shean
valley, were dated as being 3000 years old.
The diverse geographical zones in Israel
enable beekeepers to produce many types
of honey originating from typical sources
of nectar.
In the small state of Israel, there are
about 500 beekeepers, with over 100,000
Langstroth beehives that produce more
than 3,200 tons of honey annually. Nearly
75% of these hives are in large commercial
apiaries, with hundreds and even thousands
of hives. This factor - in distinct contrast to
most developed countries where large-
scale commercial beekeeping is only a
small fraction of the overall beekeeping
industry - has undoubtedly contributed to
high standards of modern beekeeping and
apiary management in Israel.
Due to shortage of natural pasture in Israel
the availability of nectar-rich crops is limited.
This has been further aggravated by rapid
urbanization and the uprooting of orange
groves and roadside eucalyptus trees,
both of which used to be primary nectar
sources for honey production. Consequently,
beekeepers had to adopt advanced and
effcient beekeeping methods, including
mechanization and breeding, in order to
increase honey yield, resulting in average
annual honey production of 40 kg per hive.
Mor than 151-500
Up to 150
hives: 73% of
beekeepers
More than 501 hives: 10% of beekeepers
Hives:
17% of beekeepers
59
Beekeeping
Many crops depend exclusively on the
honeybee for their pollination and others
obtain up to 30% increased yields by using
bees. Over 100,000 hives are hired annually
for pollination service in those crops. The
annual turnover of the beekeepers through
the pollination service is about $6 million.
In practice, however, the commercial value
of pollination is estimated as $480 million,
in terms of its overall impact on Israeli
agricultural produce.
The beekeeping industry, as well as many
crops and natural vegetation, has been
facing an ever-growing concern due to
CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) and the
disappearance of bees from nature and the
beehives. In Israel most feral honeybee
colonies vanished, chiefy as a consequence
of a Varroa destructor invasion in 1984.
The beehives were however treated with
appropriate acaracides against the Varroa
mites, and therefore they were much less
susceptible to damage.
Apiary Products
In addition to the honey itself and pollination
services, the beekeeping industry produces
several other products on a smaller scale.
These products include beeswax used mainly
for handmade candles and the construction
of honeycomb foundations and royal jelly,
pollen, propolis and bee venom, which are
used as therapeutic ingredients, mainly in
alternative medicine.
Organization of the Beekeeping Sector
The industry is organized and administered
by a number of institutions:
The Department of Beekeeping in
the Agricultural Extension Service of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
Trains and advises beekeepers, helps to
solve problems in the feld, transmits new
research and information, and participates
in new feld trials and the development of
new breeds.
The Veterinary Services
Responsible for controlling bee diseases,
bee pests and for regulations concerning
the import and export of bee and apiary
products.
The Triwaks Bee Research Center at
the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and
Environmental Quality Sciences of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, conducts
research and courses for students and
beekeepers.
The Israel Beekeepers Association
Represents the beekeepers in various
forums; super vises modernization of
beekeeping equipment; maintain contact
with beekeeping organizations around the
world.
The Israel Honey Board
Responsible for the registration of
beekeepers, allotment of pasture and crop
areas and supervision of honey marketing
channels.
The Council of Directors
Composed of a representative of each of the
aforementioned organizations; responsible
for coordinating the various activities in
the branch.
60
Sheep and Goats
Some 180,000 Awassi sheep are kept under
semi-extensive conditions by Bedouin in the
Negev desert in the southern part of the
country, mainly for lamb meat production.
The Awassi is a seasonal breed and in most
cases the Awassi ewe lambs once a year, in
the spring. The prolifcacy of the local Awassi
is somewhat low, one lamb per lambing.
Improved Awassi Sheep
The improved Awassi, known for its
remarkable high milk yield, has been
developed from the local Awassi. This high
milk yield has been achieved through an
ongoing selection process over a period of
sixty years. The improved Awassi is larger
than the local Awassi. Under intensive
conditions, the improved Awassi produces
an average of 550 liters of milk per lactation.
Improved Awassi sheep from the Kibbutz Ein
Harod fock have been exported to several
countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Assaf Sheep
The Assaf breed is the result of a
crossbreeding program initiated in 1955
between the improved Israeli Awassi and
the German East Friesian breed. Both
breeds are known for their high milk yields.
The average milk yield of the Assaf under
intensive management conditions can reach
450 liters per lactation, with an average
prolifcacy of 1.6 lambs per lambing. Other
traits that characterize the half fat tail Assaf
breed are its large body (a ram can weigh as
much as 120 kg), relatively short anestrous
period and the lambs excellent growth
ability. Today, the Assaf population in Israel
is about 40,000 breeding ewes. Assaf sheep
have been exported to several countries,
including Jordan, Portugal and Spain.
Sheep and goat production for milk and
meat is one of Israels oldest agricultural
branches. Today, some 2,400 families raise
sheep and goats under a wide range of
production systems: from extensive,
traditional, semi-nomadic and transhumant
focks to the intensive, zero-grazing dairy
and meat units of the Moshav (cooperative
family farms), Kibbutz (collective farms), and
other farms in various parts of the country.
The evolution of the Israeli sheep sector is a
good example of how modern technology
has been integrated into a traditional farming
system through research and extension.
Local Awassi Sheep
The native breed in Israel is the fat tail
Awassi, known for its adaptability to the
harsh local conditions. The Awassi is the
most common sheep breed in southwest
Asia.
61
Sheep and Goats
Afec Awassi and Afec Assaf Sheep
Recently, more proftable and prolifc
strains of improved Awassi and Assaf have
been developed in Israel by introducing
the Booroola gene into these breeds. The
prolifcacy of the new strains, Afec Awassi
and Afec Assaf, is more than two lambs
per lambing.
Saanen Goats
Saanen goats, known for their high milk
yields, were imported from Europe and
found to adapt to the local conditions.
Saanen goats are raised under intensive
conditions and have excellent milk yields,
with an average annual yield of 750 liters
per doe. Saanen goats are also known for
their ability to reproduce an average of two
kids per kidding.
Meat Production
The demand for sheep and goat meat
increases during the holiday seasons. Some
500,000 lambs are slaughtered for meat
annually, with a live weight of 29,800 tons
and carcass weight of 15,000 tons. Some
86,500 kids are slaughtered for meat, with a
live weight of 2,600 tons and carcass weight
of 1,270 tons.
Milk Production
Approximately 17 million kg of sheep milk
and 23 million kg of goat milk are produced
annually. The milk is used for a range of
cheese and yoghurt products. Due to their
high quality and hygienic properties, sheep
and goat-cheeses are exported, mainly to
the United States.
Israels Agriculture
Ministry of Industry,
Trade & Labor
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Agriculture &
Rural Development
In cooperation with:
29 Hamered St., Tel Aviv 68125, Israel, Tel: +972-3-514-2830, Fax: +972-3-514-2902, www.export.gov.il
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