Olives a centuries-old mainstay of the Palestinian economy are in peak season for harvest from the middle of October to the beginning of November. Forty-five percent of Palestinian agricultural land (228560 acres/914235 dunums) is planted with olive trees.
There are an estimated nine million olive trees in occupied Palestinian territories which have the potential to produce around 43000 metric tons of oil. The picking is a labor-intensive process requiring thousands of workers and almost a month of daily work.
Consequently more than half of the Palestinian population participates in the olive harvest with extended families and their children spending weeks in the fields in a festive manner. After the laborious harvest is completed the next stage is for the farmers to send the fresh olives to the press. This must be done quickly; otherwise the quality of oil is reduced. Once the oil is pressed and packaged farmers need access to markets to sell their goods.
Israeli movement restrictions like the closures and the Wall raise concerns over the ability of Palestinian farmers to complete this cycle. Palestinian farmers face over 500 physical obstacles and closures affecting access to fields markets and processing. The 703 km long Wall presents a further obstacle to farmers in harvesting their olives. It is estimated that 85000 dunums of olive trees approximately one million trees will be inaccessible or access restricted behind the Wall once the route is completed.
