Israel agriculture:Role model for India?
Israel agriculture sector’s high level of development is due to the close cooperation and interaction between scientists, extension advisers, farmers, and agriculture-related industries. These four elements have joined together to promote advanced technologies in all agricultural branches. The result is modern agriculture in a country, half of which is defined as desert.
Despite the decrease in the number of farmers and agriculture’s share in the GDP,agriculture plays a significant role as a major food supplier to the local market and is an important factor in Israeli export. Total agricultural produce in 2002 accounted for1.7% of the GDP. Some 62,000 people were directly employed in agriculture in2002. This number represents 2.4% of the country’s total labor force. The average monthly income per agricultural employee was $1,530 in 2002
Despite the decrease in the number of farmers and agriculture’s share in the GDP,agriculture plays a significant role as a major food supplier to the local market and is an important factor in Israeli export. Total agricultural produce in 2002 accounted for1.7% of the GDP. Some 62,000 people were directly employed in agriculture in2002. This number represents 2.4% of the country’s total labor force. The average monthly income per agricultural employee was $1,530 in 2002Export Agricultural export (fresh and processed)for 2002 reached $1.050 billion, 4.1% of the country’s total export. Exported fresh produce amounted to $620 million, mainly to the European Union, while exported processed food products totaled $430million.A total of $1.32 billion of agricultural inputs were exported in 2001. This high figure represents the results of developing advanced agricultural technology, which has promoted the industry of sophisticated industrial inputs. Hands-on experience in local agriculture serves as a laboratory for development and production of new input technologies.
Climate and Topography
More than half of the country is characterized by an arid and semi-arid climate, and a large part of Israel is hilly. A narrow coastal strip and several inland valleys represent most of the fertile areas, where water supplied from aquifers and the Sea of Galilee make irrigation possible. Israel’s total land area is approximately 21,000 km2, of which only4,100 km2 – about 20% – are arable.Israel’s climate, together with extensive greenhouse production, enables production of vegetables, fruit and flowers during the winter off-season, especially for export to European markets. The water constraints and varied climate have stimulated the development of unique agro-technologies, based on high quality standards according to updated international production and food-safety regulations.
More than half of the country is characterized by an arid and semi-arid climate, and a large part of Israel is hilly. A narrow coastal strip and several inland valleys represent most of the fertile areas, where water supplied from aquifers and the Sea of Galilee make irrigation possible. Israel’s total land area is approximately 21,000 km2, of which only4,100 km2 – about 20% – are arable.Israel’s climate, together with extensive greenhouse production, enables production of vegetables, fruit and flowers during the winter off-season, especially for export to European markets. The water constraints and varied climate have stimulated the development of unique agro-technologies, based on high quality standards according to updated international production and food-safety regulations.
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