Media Central

Fact Sheet

Shmitta

Shmitta—“agricultural sabbatical year in Israel.”  All work intended to enhance the land, to prepare the land for producing a yield or enhance vegetation is forbidden.


 

Shmitta Sale: By the Numbers

  • Druze Colonel (res.) Hamada Ganem purchased 440,000 acres of farmland (leased to kibbutzim, moshavim and private farms) for NIS 70 billion by giving a post-dated check to the Israel Lands Administration. Rabbi Ze'ev Witman, head of the Chief Rabbinate's Shmitta Committee, Rabbi Ze'ev Witman, handled the sale.

  • Ganem also wrote a check for NIS 1.5 billion to another group of private farmers for their land.

  • The checks will be returned to Ganem at the end of the year.

  • An Israeli farmers' union claims that observing Shmitta will cost the state $550 million.

  • The Agricultural ministry is providing 30 percent of the funding for hothouses for Arab and Druze growers. They also received an extra water allocation of one million cubic    meters.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/903133.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/kosher-ritual-turns-into-a-food-fight/2007/10/19/1192301044789.html

 

 

 

IDF Shmitta Observance

  • The IDF will provide 2,000 soldiers in Nahal Haredi with fruits and vegetables grown by Arab Israelis and the PA.

        http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380562407&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

Untilled Land

  • In the last shmitta year, 55,000 acres were left untilled.

  • This year, 100,000 acres are expected to be left untilled.

  •  Between 3,000-5,000 farmers will be observing Shmitta

        http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380633849&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

 

 

Israeli Food Exports in the First Half of 2007

  •  In the first half of 2007, Israeli food exports reached 90 countries.

  • Canned fruit and vegetables are Israel's top-selling food exports. Sales increased 18.8% to $148.6m. over the first half of 2007.

  • In the same time period, exported $14 million of wine and liquor.

  • Shipments of manufactured food products generated $ 439.5 million for the economy.

  • The Israeli food export sector has been growing 3 percent a year for past several years.

  • The EU is the primary recipient of Israeli food exports, having imported $194 million worth.

  • The US imported $46 million of Israeli food.

  • Russia reported a 47.5 percent increase in Israeli food imports from last year.

        http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411425489&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

 

 

 

Israeli Citrus Exports

  • Last year, Israel planted 1,300 hectares of new citrus plantations.

  • This year's citrus yield is estimated to be 640,000 tons $225 million.

  • Within 2-3 years, the new plantations are expected to yield 800,000 tons annually

  • Citrus plantations cover 20,000 hectares.

  • 20 percent of the citrus export volume goes to Russia and Eastern Europe.

        http://www.freshinfo.com/index.php?s=n&ss=nd&sid=44055&s_txt=&s_date=0&ms=&offset=0
 



Israeli Wines

  • Israel's wine exports total $13 million a year, of which $7.5 million go to the United States.

  • Israel has more than 200 wineries.

  • In 2003, Carmel Wines produced 20 million bottles, or 60 percent of Israeli wine output, some $5 million worth of wine, more than half of Israeli wine exports.
     

http://www.israelemb.org/US-Israel-Relations/food.html

http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=2270

http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/news/ng.asp?id=18387-combine-and-conquer