$27 US million losses from Israel's blockade and suspension of fruit exports to Gaza

The Israeli Fruit Growers’ Association revealed that farm owners have suffered huge losses this year due to the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. The association noted that its exports to the Strip has been between 60-80 tons of fruits annually, which are estimated at 10 percent of the total annual Israeli crop of fruits according to its assessment.

The owners of the Israeli fruit farms have suffered this year, 2009, from losses estimated at one hundred million shekels (about US $ 27 million) “due to the disruptions which occurred in the process of exporting agricultural products to Gaza Strip,” according to the recent published data. It also pointed out that this led to the trade of agricultural products in local markets at lower prices which reduced the level of farmers’ profit.

Ilan Eshel, Israeli Fruit Growers’ Association head, warned “that the closure of Gaza Strip in the face of Israeli exports will lead to a situation in which we must uproot 20 thousand acres of fruit and accordingly the officials should compensate us for this.”

Source: Quds Press