The issue of farmers using sewage to irrigate crops in Marj Ibn Amer area in Jenin has caused extreme shock and dismay recently among the Palestinian society in the West Bank especially since such practice has negative impacts on the national food security and the public health.
Manifestly the absence of agricultural supervision and control by the Palestinian competent authorities has contributed to this problem.
Farmer Mohamed Abu Baker told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the lack of official supervision made things subject to the conscience of farmers.
“There are always those who are ready to sell out their conscience in return for money and they persist in their wrongdoing when they do not find a legal deterrent or punitive measures” Abu Baker said.
“However this is not the behavior of the majority of farmers in Marj Ibn Amer and elsewhere” he affirmed pointing out that such practice became publicly known after several citizens found out about it lately and filed complaints in this regard to the authorities.
Negligence by the ministry of agriculture
The Ramallah-based ministry of agriculture is accused by citizens of neglecting its role in following up the agricultural production and activities and giving the farmers a free reign to do whatever they want.
The reality on the ground also says that the farmers do not even feel that there is a ministry of agriculture in the first place because of the absence of its regulatory role in overseeing their activities.
Additionally a study conducted by professor of Botany Jamil Harb (Birzeit University) shows that a large number of Palestinian farmers utilize pesticides and fertilizers much more than the permissible amounts which poses serious health hazards if people eat certain vegetables and fruits produced out of season.
The study affirms that Palestine has no system at all for examining the quality of vegetables and fruits produced and marketed locally to make sure they are free from pesticides that may cause health problems in case of excessive use.
This disturbing agricultural situation in the West Bank entails taking immediate action by the Palestinian ministries of health and agriculture to ensure the safety of local crops through dispatching crews to take samples for examination from all fields on a daily basis before allowing their products to enter the market.
