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Gaza exports olive oil to Gulf states for the first time

November 28, 2020 at 10:57 am

Olives are seen after being picked by farmers during harvest season in Gaza City, Gaza on 2 October, 2018. [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency]

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza announced on Thursday that it will be importing Palestinian olive oil for the first time from the besieged enclave, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Speaking to the press, the ministry’s Spokesman Adham Al-Basyouni disclosed: “44 tones of olive oil were exported to Arab countries after achieving self-sufficiency for the first time.”

He stated that his ministry exerted efforts to export the surplus of Gaza’s olive oil as part of its support for farmers.

Hamdi Al-Jerjawi, a food and agriculture merchant from Gaza, revealed that the oil was exported to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Al-Jerjawi hailed this measure and stressed that it would help the farmers to improve their capabilities.

It is worth noting that there are 33,400 dunams of olive orchards in Gaza producing 23,250 tonnes of oil annually.

READ: UN records 33 Israel settler attacks on Palestinians picking olives last month