The cabinet decided yesterday to increase the number of foreign agricultural laborers allowed to work in Israel by 3,000, from 26,000 to 29,000.

However, it decided, farmers who wish to employ additional foreign workers will be required to increase their local work force by the same amount in order to receive a permit.

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In 2004, the government froze the quota for foreign agricultural workers. In the ensuing three years, however, agricultural production has grown by 24 percent and agricultural exports have surged by 56 percent.

The farmers claim that further growth will not be possible without an increase in the quota of foreign workers, as most export products are labor intensive.

Currently, some 20,000 Israelis work in agriculture, not counting farm owners.

The Agriculture Ministry, which proposed the quota increase, claims that each new foreign worker will enable the employment of an additional Israeli in ancillary services such as packaging, transport and pest control.

But Ma'an, the Workers Advice Center, slammed the decision, saying that the foreign workers will take jobs away from Arab agricultural laborers and thereby increase unemployment.