Farmers in the Gaza Strip began harvesting dates in the hope of reaping profits amid the crisis of the spread of the Corona virus.
The Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza said in a press release that the sector owns about 250 thousand palm trees, of which about 150 thousand are fruitful.
The ministry added that this year palm trees will produce about 9 thousand tons of dates, 500 tons of which will be exported to the West Bank through the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing.
The ministry banned the import of dates from abroad amid the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, in an attempt to support local farmers.
Jamal Abu Gemayzeh, a 62-year-old farmer from Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, said he welcomes the ministry´s decision, adding that the decision will help him and other farmers sell their products.
