Arava Research & Development was established in 1986 and in 1990 the Arava experimental station was set up. The station is involved in developing new varieties in various ways and establishing programmes for farmers to follow, addressing problems and providing reports on fruit and vegetables trialed.
The centre also runs the Keeping the Arava Clean programme, which aims to keep the area free of rubbish, which is collected from villages and recycled. All farmers in the region are instructed to have a three-week sanitation period when they are forbidden to grow. This prevents viruses and keeps the region clear of insects.
Rivka Offenbach, the greenhouse vegetables specialist explains: “Fewer insects means we can begin the season with fewer chemicals. This is important for our future development. Around eight to 10 years ago we were forbidden to export to the US due to Mediterranean fruit fly. We have since initiated a programme where we have sterilised the fruit flies covering the region from the Dead Sea down to Eilat and are now able to export to the US.
“We are also targeting exports to Japan and the pest situation has to be improved further so we are addressing this situation. Our future plan is to initiate a programme of fruit-fly removal across Israel.”
The main income source of the Arava is agriculture and Offenbach explains that to try and stay on top, it is readdressing some growing issues. “We don’t know the future of melons and tomatoes and we only just get sufficient money from the capsicum we grow,” she says. “However, we are looking for new varieties of tomatoes, peppers and melons. We are also trying to find solutions for the lack of water available and we’re trying to grow using soil-less culture techniques. Bagged plastic is planted in the ground and peppers are planted in trenches.”
Tomato trials are taking place at the site and results are monitored. Offenbach says: “The results of our trials are passed onto our growers and then they decide whether to grow the produce. We have also carried out work grafting a tomato plant and an eggplant together in an effort to strengthen the roots and this should help to improve yields.”
The centre is also working hard on its tree-crop produce. Bill Chaldekes, manager of the tree-crop programme, says that tree-crop research began in earnest three years ago. He explains: “Our long-term goal is to introduce new crops to farms. We began with fresh figs and papaya and we are now looking to work with pitahaya. The problem with growing pitahaya in the valley is that the fruit does not like the heat, but this is something they are trying to address. We have found three or four varieties which grow too vigorously in the north, we are hoping that the heat will slow the fruit growth down.”
Figs are another growth area. Chaldekes says: “We have taken a South American variety called Argemanite for trials. As this fig is from the tropics, the conditions are ideal here and it means it can be grown all year-long. It’s grown on vines which also saves packing time.”
There is also research taking place for grapes. “We are developing a grower’s protocol concerning how much water to use, when and how to prune for the growing process,” he says. “We are looking at introducing a range of organic grapes. Farmers are keen to develop this market further. We have begun experimenting with a new variety called Rocki, which has a great deal of potential.”
The farmers in the Arava region are also trying different ideas. Rafi Negev is an organic capsicum farmer at Moshav Tzafar in the Arava. Although it is very demanding to grow organic produce, the rewards are obvious. He says: “Organic capsicum is a big growth area, we are dedicating a lot of time to making it a success. The plants are smaller because there are no fertilisers used so they produce less, but the higher prices encourage the growers.”
Teva Tari is a tomato grower experimenting with many new varieties in the Arava. He says: “We are trying to offer something different. We are trialing a number of new varieties; some that are high in lycopene - some with more fructose than glucose. For five years we have been trialing various varieties. We are also doing the same with watermelons. We are looking to the future and trying to establish a range where healthier products are available.”
AGREXCO RISES TO IMPROVEMENT CHALLENGE
Israeli exporter Agrexco is constantly working on improvement: new varieties, enhanced irrigation and better transportation of produce. Chairman of the board Yaacov Tsur discusses how the company is rising to these challenges.
According to Yaacov Tsur the number of people working in Israeli agriculture is declining in number, but yields and output continue to rise and the industry as a whole is growing. Tsur says: “The total output of agriculture is worth around 23 billion, while total exports amount to around 2600 million, there are around 20,000 farmers in Israel and the number of people working in the industry is around 54,000. Some 1.9m dunams of the cultivated area is irrigated, while 1.7m is non-irrigated.”
The main problem in Israel is the constant battle over a shortage of water. Tsur explains: “This is a problem which we have been addressing for some time. In Israel, the vast majority of the water is being used to its full potential. We have now begun a process of desalination. We are also recycling sewage water and recycling between 200m-300m cubic metres. Initiatives such as these have been taking place for around 15 years and go some way to alleviate the problems.
“Agriculture places a great strain on water usage. There are 1.8bn cubic metres of water used in Israel and 1bn is used by the agriculture sector. It is also possible to collect the water on the greenhouses for a second use. It is planned that within five years we will have 600m-700m cubic metres recycled. “
Tsur feels that there are many obstacles faced in the export market. “Compared to Spain and Morocco, we are much further from our customer. With regards to our flower industry, labour costs are much higher than Kenya and Zimbabwe,” he says. “So how do we overcome these problems? This is achieved by producing high-quality premium produce. We cannot compete with commodity products, we have no interest in round tomatoes. But we can succeed with cherry tomatoes or tomatoes on-the-vine. It’s important we find our niche markets.”
An area where they try to exploit this niche is in grapes. “We have a six-week period between South African and Italian sendings,” says Tsur. “We have also had a great deal of success with our peppers. Nine years ago we produced low volumes of peppers, then we took a Dutch variety, which grows well in the Arava region. We have also expanded the seed part of our business, and we send seed varieties to Morocco.”
Getting the timing right is important, according to Tsur. “We have to know the right time to leave the market - when product becomes a commodity - and it is important that we stay one step ahead. The UK market is tough, there are strict demands on quality, but we have to compete in the best way possible. Traceability across our products is important and we work hard to meet the demands of the market.”
Tsur also explains that Agrexco is addressing the issue of how to reduce costs. “We are trying to reduce the costs of exports,” he says. “Ten to 15 years ago a larger share of exports went by air, now we export as much as we can by sea using cooling vessels.
“We have built two new vessels according to standards. We want to make the process of exporting cheaper for the farmer, so when we deliver a shipment of produce to Marseille, we will try to bring the vessel filled with general cargo. Farmers are now aware that they have to change their outlook so Israeli produce can compete with its European counterparts.”
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