Small-scale projects offer hope for Gaza farmers rebuilding lives
Greenhouses and rented plots are lifelines for Gaza’s farmers, helping them grow crops despite the extensive destruction.
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Land destroyed
Data from Gaza’s Government Media Office illustrates the scale of the damage to the agricultural sector.
More than 87 percent of Gaza’s agricultural land has been destroyed. About 8,700 agricultural wells have also been destroyed and put out of service, while 7,748 cattle, sheep and poultry farms have been destroyed. More than 87 percent of greenhouses have also been damaged. Annual vegetable and fruit production has fallen from about 524,000 tonnes to approximately 20,000.
Naser Deeb, director-general of the Agricultural Extension at Gaza’s Ministry of Agriculture, says the damage extends beyond crops to farmland, water sources, irrigation networks, wells and agricultural facilities. Deeb says he has visited and assessed several damaged agricultural sites across Gaza, though he did not inspect al-Halabi’s land.
Deeb said damaged farmland would need extensive rehabilitation before production could resume.
“Farmers today are facing several problems at the same time,” Deeb says. “Even if a farmer returns to his land, that does not mean the land is ready for cultivation. The soil needs to be rehabilitated, water sources and irrigation systems repaired, and seeds, fertilisers and equipment provided.”
And the impact of these issues, Deeb says, is affecting farming families and markets across Gaza, reducing the availability of fresh vegetables and making it harder for farmers to restore their livelihoods.
New farm
Some farmers are trying to rebuild through small-scale projects.
Mohammad Abdul Naser Hassan al-Jadba, 40, from Sheikh Ajleen in Gaza City, lost his source of income during the war after his farmland ended up on the wrong side of the “Yellow Line”, the boundary in Gaza behind which Israeli forces operate and control.
Israeli soldiers have killed Palestinians who have strayed too close to the line, and al-Jadba knows that it is too dangerous for him to even try to access his farmland. Instead, he resigned himself to renting a small plot in Deir el-Balah, where he has established a nursery and greenhouse to grow tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.
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Al-Jadba received some funding from a Belgian development fund, which he used to build the greenhouse and obtain agricultural supplies.
“Before renting the farm, my income was zero,” al-Jadba said. “Today, I can support my family, and my monthly income has reached around 3,000 shekels [$1,015] a month.”
He has also been able to employ two farmers on a permanent basis inside the greenhouse. Both had previously been unemployed.
“For me, this project was not just agricultural support,” al-Jadba said. “It was a real opportunity to return to work, regain my source of income and become self-reliant again.”