Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Israel's Agriculture Booklet PDF
Israel's Agriculture Booklet PDF
In cooperation with:
Ministry of Industry,
Trade & Labor
Israels Agriculture
29 Hamered St., Tel Aviv 68125, Israel, Tel: +972-3-514-2830, Fax: +972-3-514-2902, www.export.gov.il
Sincerely yours,
Acknowledgements
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.
Chapter Subject
Writer
Title
Israels Agriculture at a
Glance
Dafna Yurista
Spokeswoman, MOAG
Agricultural Engineering
Greenhouses
Roni Amir
Post-Harvest
Technologies
Asher Azenkot
Asher Azenkot
Plant Protection
Seeds
Agricultural Extension
Service
Omar Zaidan
Alon Gadiel
Rural Development
Trends and Challenges
International Agricultural
Cooperation
Ofer Sachs
Biotechnology
Vegetables
Shimshon Omer
Field Crops
Ofer Goren
Fruit
Citrus
Tal Amit
Organic Farming
Floriculture
Dairy Cattle
Poultry
Navot Haklay
Aquaculture
Yitzhak Simon
Beekeeping
Haim Efrat
Dorit Kababya
Yitzhak Kiriati
Editorial in Chief
Smadar Moisa
8-9
10-11
Agricultural Engineering
12-13
Greenhouses
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
Plant Protection
22-23
Seeds
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
International Agricultural
Cooperation
34-35
Biotechnology
36-37
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
60-61
62-63
Acknowledgments
64
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
efficiency and productivity, in a country
where more than half of the land is classified
as desert land.
Despite a steady decline in number of
selfemployed 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 significant factor in
Israeli exports. Total agricultural produce
in 2010 accounted for 1.9% of GDP. Some
64,000people were directly employed in
agriculture in 2010 (onethird 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 figure 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 $1.33billion, 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
figure is the product of an advanced agrotechnology 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.
Rural Development
Israels rural sector is firmly integrated
into the national reality and has developed
significantly 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.
10
11
Agricultural Engineering
12
13
Greenhouses
14
15
16
17
1949
1970
1998
2001
2004
2006*
2011
165
411
410
384
380
300
283
30
172
194
188
225
152
165
257
1,340
1,365
1,022
1,129
918
563
566
519
509
367
411
512
544
680
18
1,108
1,189
19
20
21
Plant Protection
Background
Israel has a high level, well developed
agriculture covering a wide range of crops,
such as: fruit trees, field crops, vegetables,
spices, flowers 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 significant
place in research and development, both in
basic research and in applied research that
is performed in the agricultural field 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
22
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).
23
Seeds
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 field 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 offseason.
24
25
26
27
28
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.
29
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 groundwater 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 flooding of
streams. The crusted soil causes flooding
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 classified as desert
silt formed from settled alluvial materials.
These soils, entirely deficient of organic
30
31
32
33
34
35
Biotechnology
36
37
38
No. of seedspecimens
4,499
860
Among them
endangeredspecies
212
No. of species
which were
regenerated
56
39
Vegetables
40
41
Field Crops
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 flour 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.
42
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.
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.
Sunflowers
In 2011 sunflowers for seeds covered an
area of about 800 hectares. About 70%
of the yield is targeted for export. Israelideveloped sunflower grains are known for
their excellent size and quality. Some of
the new sunflower varieties are known
for their resistance to Broomrape as well
as for their particularly large seeds with
attractive coloring. Most sunflower crops
are drip-irrigated, achieving significant
savings in water: 1,800-2,500 m3 of water
are sufficient to produce two to three tons
per hectare.
43
Cotton
Israel produces high-quality cotton. The
entire cotton yield is exported, mainly to
Europe and the Far East. Israeli long-fiber
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 dripirrigated 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 fibers, and 5.3 tons per hectare for raw
Pima Cotton, with 1.9 tons of fibers.
The cotton sector is totally mechanized.
The introduction of effluents for irrigation
has contributed to a significant reduction in
growing costs. Cotton seeds, a by-product of
fiber processing, are used in the manufacture
of animal feed.
Implementation of New Technologies
The last few years has seen a steady decline
in the profitability of the field crop industry.
To deal with this situation, Israeli farmers
are investing in the implementation of
advanced technologies and relatively highcost 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.
Fruit
Fruit
Apples
Pears
Plums
Peaches
Table grapes
Bananas
Avocados
Mangoes
Dates
44
45
Citrus
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.
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.
46
New Trends
The citrus sector, which has fluctuated over
the years, has concentrated on increasing
the efficiency 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.
Variety
Oranges
Grapefruit
Easy peelers
Lemons
Exotics
tons
42.5
65.0
35.0
50.0
20.0
47
Organic Agriculture
Organic farms in all parts of the country
use specific 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 IFOAMaffiliated 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, field
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.
48
49
Floriculture
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 flowers, with the typical farm size being
about 5 hectares. Some 800 million cut
flowers (65% of the total production)
are exported throughout the year, mainly
to Europe. The floriculture 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
flowers 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 flower production, but currently
make up less than 30%. Today, these flowers
are perceived rather as commodities and are
mostly grown in African countries, while the
Israeli floriculture sector is increasingly being
based on niche products (see Table 1).
Seasonal Production
Originally, emphasis was placed on
developing growing methods for winter
flower production, through greenhouse
and climate-control technologies. Today,
some 60% of all flower produce is grown
year-round in advanced, computerized
greenhouses and other accomplishing
technologies.
Direct Marketing
The flower sector is based mainly on direct
contacts between the local growers and
their regular customers abroad. Most of the
flowers 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
agricultural 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 flowers and ornamentals,
which are perishable products, were shipped
from Israel to Europe by cargo planes
on regularly scheduled flights. 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
flowers are ready for marketing the grower
may make use of his own data to channel
the flowers to the right destination. Upon
entering several details relating to quantities
50
Quantity X 1000
Cuttings
Bulbs
Plants
405,700
43,840
3,980
51
Dairy Cattle
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
Israel milk recording data: milk and milk solids production from
1995 to 2010 (kg/cow/year)
12,500
440
420
12,000
400
11,500
380
360
11,000
340
10,500
320
10,000
300
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Fat (kg)
52
Protein (kg)
Milk (kg)
Technologies
Israels dairy industry employs locallydeveloped 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 profitable. For example, a flowmeter is attached to the milking equipment,
automatically measuring the milk flow 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
53
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 profitability.
Poultry
54
55
Aquaculture
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
Number of farms 40
Total Area 2000 ha
Annual Production 20000 ton
56
Mariculture
The Israeli mariculture sector grows fish 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 fish hatcheries produce
around 15 million fingerlings 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
57
Beekeeping
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 difficult to
produce a typical citrus honey. Most of
the Israeli honey is usually produced from
a wide variety of wild flowers, 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, sunflowers, strawberries,
winter vegetables and many seed crops.
58
Up to 150
hives: 73% of
beekeepers
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:
59
60
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
prolificacy 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.
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.
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.
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.
61
Israels Agriculture
In cooperation with:
Ministry of Industry,
Trade & Labor
29 Hamered St., Tel Aviv 68125, Israel, Tel: +972-3-514-2830, Fax: +972-3-514-2902, www.export.gov.il