Storm damages likely to cause jump in summer fruit prices
Poor conditions, following stormy weather, caused the collapse of many net houses that protect crops and damage to the roots of many plants.
By SHARON UDASINFarmers Federation of Israel project price hikes in summer fruit prices(photo credit: FARMERS FEDERATION OF ISRAEL)
After stormy weather conditions caused farmers tens of millions of shekels worth of damage on Sunday, the Farmers Federation of Israel projected price hikes in summer fruit prices the following day.The barrage of hail and heavy rains that pounded Israel on Sunday caused considerable damage to thousands of acres of fruit orchards, both in terms of infrastructure and the blossoming fruits themselves, the federation said on Monday. The federation's announcement come a day after Kanat – Insurance Fund for Natural Risks in Agriculture released preliminary assessments that the thousands of dunams of crops damaged will amount to tens of millions of shekels in losses."As if we were not experiencing enough crises, hail damages last night are terrible news to farmers who are already on the verge of collapse and bankruptcy," Farmers Federation of Israel president Dubi Amitai said Monday.Conditions were so poor following the storm that many net houses that protect crops collapsed, while excess water in the soil damaged the roots of many plants, according to the federation."Due to the heavy damage, summer fruit prices are expected to increase," Amitai added. "The Israeli government must awaken to the sound of our pleas, otherwise agriculture will be eliminated and along with it, settlement and national security."
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