The Civil Administration has approved a plan to improve Palestinian farming, supplying the necessary pesticides to agricultural areas in the Palestinian Authority and in Judea and Samaria.
The pest-control project began two years ago, focusing on the use of biological pesticides. At the end of 2011 previous funding for the project ran out, though Civil Administration agriculture officer for Judea and Samaria fought to continue the project. "A large budget was approved to fund the project - specifically treating palm tree pests," explained Mr. Eiman As'ad, senior coordinator for finance and marketing at the Civil Administration agriculture office.
The Civil Administration agriculture office held several educational programs for Palestinian farmers. "The Civil Administration approved funding for pest-control, enabling us to implement what we've learned at the conferences," explained Mr. As'ad.
Additionally, the Civil Administration agriculture office remains in close contact with the Palestinian environmental company. "We receive constant reports from the field of how the pesticides are working," said Mr. As'ad. "It's crucial that they [the Palestinians] know how to deal with natural pests, and we hope to convey this knowledge," he added.