Israeli Farmers Get Green Light to Expand Cultivation Areas

Jerusalem, 30 January, 2024 (TPS) -- In a bid to address a wartime manpower shortage in Israel’s agricultural sector, farmers will be allowed to increase their cultivation areas without being hindered by labor constraints, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday.

Farmers expanding their cultivation areas can now correspondingly augment the number of foreign workers they employ, which the ministry said will empower farmers to grow and produce “according to their ability and desire and not according to the necessity of the resource of working hands.”

The move follows up on the Cabinet raising the quota of foreign workers in agriculture by 10,000 on Sunday.

Israeli agriculture is facing staggering losses in production and manpower. Before October 7, Israel had 29,900 foreigners, mostly Thais, working in farms, orchards, greenhouses and packing plants. Nearly all have returned to Thailand.

Israeli workers who might have filled the gaps have been called up for military reserve duty while Palestinian laborers are currently banned as security risks.

The new government quota also allows farmers to assign foreign workers to poultry work. Before October 7, farmers relied on Palestinian workers to assist with periodic vaccinations of poultry.