Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) Issues a Press Release on the Impact of the Israeli Occupation Aggression on the Agricultural Sector in Gaza Strip, 2023.

About USD 2 million direct daily losses in agricultural production in Gaza Strip as a result of the cessation of the agricultural production

Ramallah - 28/11/2023 - 14:00 Palestine Time

The agricultural sector represents one of the most important components of the GDP in Gaza Strip in addition to other productive sectors, through its contribution to the overall economy, in addition to the contribution of this sector in providing employment and alleviating unemployment, as the contribution of the agricultural sector to the GDP in Gaza Strip reached about 11% in 2022.

The added value of agriculture activity is estimated at USD 343 million in Gaza Strip in 2022. The value of production at current prices is estimated at about USD 575 million, while intermediate consumption (production requirements and expenses) is about USD 232 million in 2022, where the percentage of intermediate consumption to production reached about 40%, which means that the production of USD 100 of agricultural commodities needs inputs and production expenses of USD 40.

The direct daily losses in agricultural production are estimated at about USD 1.6 million as a result of stalling production, and the value of losses is exacerbated when taking into account the destruction of agricultural property and assets and the bulldozing of land which will double the value of the total losses. . Several reports issued about Gaza Strip on the agricultural sector indicate that the total agricultural losses will exceed USD 180 million in light of the destruction of thousands of trees by the occupation during its recent aggression and the bulldozing of many agricultural areas.

About a quarter of agricultural holders and agricultural holdings are in North Gaza Governorate, and the purpose of production for more than 70% of the holdings is for sale.

The number of agricultural holdings in Gaza Strip reached 24,754, representing 17.6% of the total agricultural holdings in Palestine. The number of agricultural holdings in North Gaza Governorate reached 6,112, representing 24.7% of the total agricultural holdings in Gaza Strip, where 99.7% of the holdings are family holdings, while 74.2% of the holdings fall within the small area category (less than 3 dunums). As for the average size of agricultural holdings, it amounted to 3.6 dunums.

Also, the number of agricultural holders in North Gaza Governorate constitutes 5,957 holders; 24.5% of the total agricultural holders in Gaza Strip, during the agricultural year 2020/2021. On the other hand, the main purpose of production for about 73.4% of agricultural holdings is for sale.

Direct targeting and destruction of agricultural areas in northern Gaza, which constitute one third of the area planted with field crops, vegetables, and horticulture gardening

The results of the Agriculture Census for 2020/2021 indicated that the total area cultivated with horticultural trees, vegetables and field crops in Gaza Strip amounted to about 117 thousand dunums, of which 32% in Khan Yunis, and 29% in North Gaza. The cultivated areas in North Gaza are estimated at about 34,000 dunums, which have been bulldozed and destroyed, in addition to the unsuitability of most of them for agriculture due to the number of explosives dropped on them.

More than half of the agricultural production in Gaza Strip is plants production.

The total value of agricultural production in Gaza Strip during 2022 is amounted to about USD 575 million distributed by 54% for plant production out of the total value of agricultural production: (16.7% for horticulture trees, 69.7% for vegetables and 13.6% for field crops), whereas the percentage of animal production reached 46%: (52.2% for meat, 26% for fish), It should also be noted that many families have lost their livelihood from fish production as a result of the destruction of fishing boats.

Direct destruction of the main source of vegetable production in the Gaza Strip

Areas cultivated with vegetables constitute 53% of the total agricultural area in Gaza Strip, 34% of which are concentrated in North Gaza Governorate and 30% in Khan Yunis Governorate. Accordingly, this means direct damage into the main source of vegetable production. In addition, the direct disruption in the supply of water and electricity, which constitute 27% of the total requirements of plant production, hence the costs and requirements of plant agricultural production are distributed by 27% on water and electricity, 26% on fertilizers, 23% on seeds and 17% on pesticides 7% on other production inputs.

Comprehensive targeting of olive trees, which make up 60% of horticultural trees

The area cultivated with horticultural trees in Gaza Strip constitutes 30.9% of the total cultivated area in Gaza Strip. 31.3% of these areas are concentrated in Khan Yunis Governorate and 22.3% in North Gaza Governorate.

The most impact of the recent Israeli occupation aggression on the agricultural sector in Gaza Strip was the leveling of agricultural areas cultivated with horticultural trees, especially olive trees, where the area of olive trees constitutes 63% of the total area cultivated with horticultural trees in Gaza Strip, which distributed as follows: 34% in Khan Yunis, 24% in Dier Al-Balah, 17% in North Gaza, 12% in Gaza and 13% in Rafah.

Execution of entire groups of livestock farms in Gaza Strip

Khan Yunis Governorate contributes of about 26% of the total poultry number in Gaza Strip and about 30% of the total number of sheep in Gaza Strip, where more than 60% of  cattle, sheep and goats are raised for the purpose of producing meat.

North Gaza Governorate contributes of about 25% of the total poultry number in Gaza Strip and of about 44% of the total number of goats, 48% of the number of cattle, and 42% of the total number of beehives, and 27% of the total number of sheep.

44% of the Palestinian households have lost their sources of local agricultural production in Gaza Strip used for household consumption

National accounts data that are based on the mechanism of supply and use tables for 2022 indicate that 44% of the household final consumption of agricultural commodities comes from the local production of agricultural products produced in Gaza Strip, while the rest of the final consumption (56%) depends on imports of agricultural commodities, which stopped during the recent aggression on Gaza Strip. Consequently, this indicates that the agricultural production in the normal situation hardly meets the requirements of the final household consumption, which means food insecurity and lack of self-sufficiency of locally produced agricultural crops in Gaza Strip, and the situation is exacerbated with the bombardment of agricultural areas, which affects the ability of local production to meet household consumption, in addition to preventing farmers from accessing their agricultural land.

55% of the total exports from Gaza Strip are agricultural products

The initial value of the registered commodity exports from Gaza Strip for 2022 amounted to USD 32.8 million, where agricultural exports constituted 55% of the total exports, as agricultural exports from Gaza Strip, before the aggression, were concentrated in the activity of planting vegetables, horticultural products and nurseries by USD 16.1 million. As for products, agricultural exports during 2022 were concentrated in tomato, where they constituted 33.1% of the total agricultural exports in 2022, followed by cucumbers with 33% of the total agricultural exports.

56% of the final consumption in Gaza Strip is for imported agricultural products

Imported agricultural commodities constitute about 56% of households final consumption of agricultural products, where the initial value of agricultural imports to Gaza Strip in 2022 reached about USD 238 million. Whereas, 46.3% of the imports of the agricultural sector were from the activities of planting olive trees, fruits, nuts and crops from which drinks and spices are made, compared to 17.3% from the activity of planting vegetables, horticultural products and nurseries.