Isreal: Government Goals Set

Matt Hopkins Posted by Matt Hopkins|29 January 2008

The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture published its goals, budget, and outlook of the Israeli agriculture sector for 2008, according to the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS).

The following goals were listed by the Ministry for 2008:

  • Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture. The Ministry hopes to expand the use of biological pest control products such as infertile male flies; reduce agricultural pesticide use; increase the use of recycled water; promote organic agriculture; and promote agricultural land conservation methods.
  • Expand Existing Export Markets and Develop New Export Markets. This includes the goals of developing new crops; promoting Israeli agricultural products for export; supervising quality and standards of agricultural products; and giving benefits to export-oriented crops when allotting water resources and permits for hired foreign workers.
  • Rural Development. This goal includes the development of agri-tourism businesses; reform in the table egg sector; and assisting in the development of master plans on topics such as agricultural tourism and quality of the environment.
  • State Guarantees for Long-Term Loans. The Ministry will allot funding for agriculture and farm development, new technologies to reduce labor, and for the renewal of aging agricultural equipment.
  • Development in the Non-Jewish Sector. The government goals are to shift from small production units to large farming operations outside the villages; to reform the pig sector; to develop the camel milk industry for export and local markets; to development agricultural infrastructures, such as roads, water resources, and dairy farms; and to modernizing and intensify the olive oil industry.
  • Legislation. The Ministry will encourage legislation in the following fields: Standards Law for agricultural produce in order to market only safe and high quality products; Milk Law to set the basis for the long-term planning of the dairy industry; Animal Feed Law to improve the safety and quality of its operations; and Fishing Law to set new fishing regulations.