The Agricultural Development Association (Agricultural Relief) affirmed that livestock in the Gaza Strip faces major problems as a result of the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip, the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing and the prevention of the introduction of fodder, which threatens the continuation of work in this sector in which it operates.
As a result of the blockade of the Gaza Strip that has been going on for years, the fodder needed to operate the livestock sector is being introduced on a daily basis through the crossings controlled by the Israeli occupation authorities, and accordingly, the Gaza Strip does not have a strategic stock of fodder, as the monthly requirement of fodder for the Gaza Strip represents 18 thousand tons. .
The Gaza Strip suffers from a set of problems that exacerbate the suffering of livestock breeders, including preventing the occupation from entering large and sufficient quantities of feed, the high price of fodder significantly and the difficulty of producing and manufacturing these feed locally in the Gaza Strip because the occupation prevented the entry of equipment necessary for this industry in addition to the scarcity. Raw materials required for its manufacture.
She believes that the occupation is the main impediment to the advancement of the agricultural sector in the Gaza Strip in general and the livestock breeding sector in particular, through its control over the crossings and the punitive measures that follow by the Palestinian citizen, and deliberately targeting agricultural lands and livestock farms militarily would destroy this The sector and pushing farmers to refrain from investing in it.
Agricultural Relief called on international organizations and human rights organizations to put pressure on the occupation in order to lift the suffocating siege on the Gaza Strip and to allow the entry of various food, agricultural and industrial supplies necessary for citizens in various sectors, in addition to stopping the repeated brutal attacks and stopping the targeting of establishments and agricultural lands.
It is noteworthy that the agricultural sector in the Gaza Strip suffers both from the practices of the occupation, as 22 thousand farmers in the Gaza Strip suffer from a severe shortage of feed, fertilizers and raw materials, in addition to the significant restrictions imposed on the export of Gaza Strip products to the West Bank and other Arab markets. In addition to endangering the lives of farmers by directly targeting them, especially in the eastern border areas of the Gaza Strip, known in the media as the separation fence area.