On a shiny-day and a clear morning the golden sunshine lightens up the sparkling strawberries which look like ‘red gold’ hanging out in the open air waiting for farmers to pick them up during the harvest season.
Farmer Abu Ahmed Abu Saud begins his day by picking the hanging strawberries in one of the farms in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip which used to be an Israeli colony until 2005 a land famous for the quality of its agricultural produce.
In an agricultural greenhouse built by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees Abu Saud accompanied by a number of workers pick up strawberries from abundant crops.
According to agricultural engineer Dina Shaat one of the supervisors of the project the hanging strawberries produce three times more than the normal strawberries which use traditional agriculture. Shaath notes that this will be a strong boost for many farmers to switch to this type of farming.
The hanging strawberries contribute to finding creative solutions to water scarcity excessive use of pesticides and limited agricultural lands in the Gaza Strip which will result in the provision of a high quality produce free of pesticide residues and fertilizers.
Shaath told the PIC that the one dunum of hanging strawberries could accommodate 20000 seeds while the traditional way of farming could accommodate 9000 seeds noting that the production of one dunum of hanging strawberries is about 10 tons.
Despite the high cost of basic equipment needed for the hanging strawberries plantation project it remains more economically viable for farmers than traditional agriculture is according to Shaath.
She pointed out that the goal of the project is to save a large amount of water used by farmers as well as fertilizers and pesticides noting that the cost of one dunum of hanging strawberries ranges between 6000 to 8000 USD.
The success of strawberries cultivation depends on several factors including: variety date of plantation soil type irrigation new farming system pest and disease control methods and crop follow up starting from plantation to harvest.
Shaath explained that this project was implemented by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and was funded by the Dutch Global Gal Organization in order to produce high quality crops to be exported abroad.
She pointed out that the Gaza Strip contains 12 farms of hanging strawberries distributed in different provinces pointing out that some farmers who grow strawberries using the traditional way began using the hanging strawberries cultivation method as it provides larger quantities and lesser space.
Strawberry is a favorite fruit for many and it yields good profits. Furthermore it could be sold frozen processed or fresh.
