Agriculture knowledge

Interview with Boaz Horowitz of Arava R&D

Agricultural innovation in the Arava R&D

The Arava R&D Center was established in 1986 to serve the growing development needs of the farmers and the general population in this national priority region along Israel’s southern borders.

For 12 years the Jewish Agency for Israel financed the R&D activities and since 1997 the Keren Kayemet LeIsrael (JNF) replaced them as the main funding source for this R&D work. 

Additional funding for these activities comes from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, The Plants Production & Marketing Board, ICA (Israel Colonization Association) and other various donors.

 

The R&D Structure and Operations

The Arava R&D Center has seven different divisions focusing on vegetables, flowers, plant protection, orchards, organic agriculture, fish farming and quality control. Every division coordinator heads a professional committee composed of farmers, field instructors and researchers who meet to decide on a list of the main problematic issues, all in accordance with their priorities.

 

     

The activities are carried out at the agricultural experimental stations and specified farms. The accumulated knowledge is then presented to the farmers at regular advisory sessions, at end-of-the-season meetings, on the regional website and in publications distributed to the growers.  Furthermore, open days, lectures and field tours focusing on a wide range of relevant subjects are arranged.

Central and Northern Arava Valley – General Information

The Arava region covers an area extending 180 km southwards from the Dead Sea to Eilat on the shores of the Red Sea and it is 3-10 km wide stretching from Ramat HaNegev (Heights) in the west to the mountains of Edom in the east.

The R&D activities take place in three agricultural villages (moshavim) within the Tamar Regional Council (Neot HaKikar, Ein Tamar and on a private farm in Ein Hatzeva); and in five moshavim (cooperative villages) – Idan, Hatzeva, Ein Yahav, Zofar and Faran, as well as in two community settlements – Sapir Center and Zukim all belonging to the Central Arava Regional Council.  

The Sapir Center provides all the essential public services and facilities for the local population.
The Central Arava region has a population of 3,360 people living in 700 families of whom 530 work in agriculture while the population of Northern Arava region is 1150 people living in 347 families of whom 110 are farmers (May 2013).

The Arava region produces about 60% of Israel’s exports of fresh vegetables and 15% of the flowers freshly picked for export.

 

Objectives

The main objective of the Arava R&D’s work is the creation of opportunities for the region’s development and expansion while retaining the region’s special character.  Their endeavors also include efforts to attain greater efficiency and increase the value of the local products.

According to Boaz, when the growers of the Arava first started marketing high quality peppers and introduced select varieties to the market we knew how to supply exactly what the consumer demanded. Therefore this premium product was considerably successful during the period when no other alternative was available.    

Nowadays, peppers make up 70% of the harvest supplemented by a smaller quantity of other crops. 
Most of the work in the fields is done from November to March.

  

The entry of Spanish growers into the market over the past two years has changed the situation. By raising the farmers’ professional standards they are now sending good quality fruit to the markets.  Moreover, the Spanish market works as a cooperative when it comes to directing what seedlings to plant, as well as updating the farmers on agro-technical methods and marketing strategies.  This strategy helps the farmers during all stages of the plants’ growth and guidelines are issued to improve crop cultivation and advise on how to transport the produce speedily to the buyer and reduce costs.  The Arava’s relative advantage has gradually shrunk and needless to say Spain’s proximity to the European market is to their advantage. This is true also for the German market which now works with the Spaniards as long as the produce’s quality remains high.

The Arava region still maintains its advantage during February and March.
The decline in the demand for vegetables from the Arava was gradual and following the good results of 2007 season many farmers in the region began growing peppers resulting in overproduction. The market is glutted now and so the European retailer can cut prices.

In discussing possible solutions to the problem, Boaz pointed out that changing over from growing peppers to other crops is not so easy because the structures of net houses used for growing peppers are specially designed for that crop and very few alternative crops are suitable for growing in net houses located in the Arava region. Consequently, converting these structures for growing different crops is not that simple.

 

Nevertheless, Boaz still argues that under the present circumstances the logical move for a small farm (5-6 hectares) would be to start growing different types of vegetables.  However this poses additional questions.

The R&D Center serves the needs of 600 farmers in the Arava region and also proposes agro-technical improvements and methods for coping with the high salinity level in the water.  The Center strives to find an irrigation regime and a better crop type to solve this problem of high salinity and prevent poor yields.
Boaz states further that new crops are being introduced constantly together with efforts to develop additional export markets.  Aubergines (eggplants) are one such example as new varieties facilitate a return to former markets, mainly in Russia and the Netherlands where our aubergine sales are increasing due to a shortage of this vegetable in Spain. 
Efforts are underway to develop new and more resistant varieties of melons. 
The Center continues to develop innovations and solutions in traditional agriculture too.
Another domain in which the R&D Center plays a role is instruction and training.  Such essential instruction and guidance are aimed at improving poor crops wherever necessary.

 

Additional Areas for Improvement

Identifying and growing the categories of the plant varieties best suited to climate changes that will eventually produce higher yields.
Raising professional standards and where equipment is used to adapt the instruments gauging humidity. 
Weekly meetings are arranged for the farmers at the R&D Center as a means of group instruction and training. At these meetings individual farmers can raise problems for discussion thus allowing the farmers to learn from one another.  These weekly meetings together with the increased use of measurement sensors constitute together a successful learning method. In conclusion, growing crops requires plant control as the farmer wants the plant to produce more. 
Boaz notes 3 important areas in agricultural work: Harvest, quality and timing. 
He claims that the Arava only has few alternatives to offer for earning a livelihood and economic prosperity depends on a successful agricultural season.

 

Anticipating Future Developments
Plans for the future include attempts to encourage biotechnological industries involved in the production of food and medicine based on agricultural crops. There is currently a global upsurge in the demand for food additives, food coloring, medicine derived from plants as part of the growing trend to opt for what is natural.
In the Arava region we have a directory featuring 250 kinds of medicinal plants.

 

Agricultural and Scientific R&D
Agricultural work at the R&D Center focuses on the more practicable aspects of R&D whereas the scientific R&D engages in pure science activities, including research on environmental conservation and desert plants.  A general survey of all the medicinal plants growing in the region is conducted and their effect on various diseases is assessed.

Aquaculture – another field to be found at the R&D Center where optimum methods and conditions for growing ornamental fish are developed.  

As the region’s relative isolation constitutes an advantage over raising the fish in well populated areas so 3 farms now grow ornamental fish for export. Some 10 farms rear ornamental fish in the Arava and stand to gain from the current feeding experiments as well as from the acclimatization of tetra fish. Efforts are also under way to appraise different additives, and the intention here is to breed the next generation by acidifying the breeding environment. 

 

An additional research area is growing corals in closed farms under varying conditions based on the assumption that within a few years pulling corals from the sea will be prohibited.  
Furthermore, work has been initiated on the issue of algae, growing them in closed systems for the biotechnological industries.

Boaz repeats the R&D Center’s principal purpose nowadays, namely to create employment solutions for the region.

In conclusion, it may be argued that the region is definitely prospering thanks to the active R&D but the population living in outlying regions also needs significant support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development especially where sources of employment are concerned.

Rural development is contingent upon R&D development.
Needless to say the knowledge acquired also has monetary value and this knowledge may be turned into a source of income. 
 
 
  

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