State to compensate farmers for crops lost over Negev, Arava drought - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Mon., January 21, 2008 Shvat 14, 5768

Israel Time: 10:44 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Rosner's Domain

Diplomacy

Defense

Jewish World

Opinion

National

Print Edition

Advertising

Books

Arts & Leisure

Business

Real Estate

Easy Start

Travel

Week's End

Anglo File

Last update - 07:50 21/01/2008

State to compensate farmers for crops lost over Negev, Arava drought

By Amiram Cohen

Tags: Negev, agriculture, Israel

The state is expected to compensate farmers in the South, the Negev and Arava regions, for crops that were lost due to this year's drought.

Arava farmers have been particularly hard hit as they have lost the winter vegetables that were to be marked for export.

	Advertisement

The Be'er Sheva, Western Negev, Central Negev and Arava regions have seen less than half of their normal average rainfall so far this winter; in the Lachish region and around Beit Kama, there has been only a third of the usual amount of rainfall at this point in the winter. As a result, the reservoirs that collect runoff from the rains and provide much of the water used for agriculture have not filled up either.

Farmers in the Western Negev irrigate their fields with reclaimed waste water from the center of the country, but the amount available is limited and was further cut by 9% this year.

Arava settlements are not connected at all to the National Water Carrier and there is no way to supply them with significant quantities of water from the North in cases of drought.

The drought is also threatening crops remaining after the frost during the last two weeks, which destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of vegetables for export in the Arava, according to Ami Shaham, the head of the drainage administration for that region.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Vision of cooperation
	Saudi prince says if Israel leaves Arab land, it could join the Arab world.


	At odds with PM
	Bolton says the final IDF op in Lebanon had no impact on UN truce talks.




1.	winter vegetables	03:38	\|	gigi	21/01/08

2.	A good opportunlity	04:04	\|	realism	21/01/08

3.	better get those desalination plants built. offer bonds to build	04:58	\|	ralph	21/01/08

4.	Drought	06:47	\|	dov epstein	21/01/08

Today Online


	J'lem sources: Power shortage in Gaza worse than expected
	Responses: 56


	Poll: Only 16% of Israelis back Diaspora input on fate of J'lem
	Responses: 19


	Source: Israel won't free 2/3 of prisoners demanded by Hamas
	Responses: 8


	Israel launches new satellite bolstering ability to spy on Iran
	Responses: 1


	Gideon Levy: The mass killing in Gaza is just hurting both sides
	Send response


	Marek Halter: Mideast peace is inconveivable without Damascus
	Send response


	Editorial: Israel musn't succumb to Nasrallah's provocations
	Send response

Rosner's Domain

Domain's guest: Americans must help improve Israel's education system

Why Huckabee worries the Jewish voter

67% of Nevada Jews voted for Clinton

Meadow Soprano is more proud of Israel than the US (WTR)

Blog & Poll: Can Joe Lieberman convince Jews in Florida to vote for McCain?

More Headlines
10:33 Satellite launch bolsters ability to spy on Tehran


10:25 Security officials: Gaza power shortage worse than expected


08:35 Source: Israel won't free 2/3 of prisoners Hamas wants released


05:08 Poll: Only 16% of Israelis back Diaspora input on fate of J'lem


09:19 IDF officer lightly wounded, militant killed in Tul Karm raid


01:58 Bolton: Final IDF op in Lebanon had no impact on UN truce talks


06:16 PM works to pre-empt Labor revolt ahead of Winograd report


04:48 Holocaust survivor kills wife in botched suicide pact


09:18 New industrial dispute looms as lecturers end 90-day strike