Farmers: "Government deteriorated agriculture to a point that its very existence is threatend"

In a statement issued last week by Israel Farmer's Federation the Federation noted that over 11,000 farmers have abandoned the agriculture sector over the past decade
 
Farmer's Federation figures show that 30,000 workers were employed in agriculture in 1995, compared to 19,000 workers in 2005.

Justa Bleier Israel Farmer's Federation general secretary argued that falling profitability was the main reason for the decline in the number of farmers. He added that retiring farmers are not replaced by a new generation of farmers.
In a protest held last week the protestors raised four basic demands:
-          the cancellation of the labor tax on foreign farm workers
-          reducing the price of irrigation water.
-          increasing R&D support
-          increasing agriculture insurance in line with EU practice.