Olive cultivation in Palestine
 | The English used in this article or section may not be easy for everybody to understand. (April 2024) |
In the Palestinian territories, olive trees are the main agricultural crop. They are mostly grown to produce olive oil.
Olive trees are very important to the economy in the Palestinian territories. In 2014, around 108,000 tons of olives were pressed there. This produced 24,700 tons of olive oil, which sold for a total of $10,900,000.[1] Around 100,000 families depend on olives for their basic income.[2]
Estimates say that olive trees cover 57% of the cultivated land in the Palestinian territories. In 2011, the territories held 7.8 million fruit-bearing olive trees.[3]
History
[change | change source]People in the region began cultivating olive trees thousands of years ago. Archaeologists have found prehistoric evidence of olive groves and techniques used to press olives into oil. These finds date back to the Copper Age, specifically between 3600 BC and 3300 BC.[4][5]
In 1982, the shipwreck of Uluburun (Arabic: سفينة أولوبورون) was found off the Turkish coast. Jars of olives were found among the wreckage. Some scholars think the ship carried olives brought from Palestine.[5] This means that olives became a trade commodity in the Bronze Age.
National pride
[change | change source]Many Palestinians view the olive tree as a symbol of nationalism and the tree's connection to the Palestinian land, especially because of its slow growth and longevity.[6]
Settler violence
[change | change source]The destruction of Palestinian olive trees has become a feature of the Israel–Palestine conflict, with regular reports of damage by Israeli settlers.[7]
Culture
[change | change source]Olive trees are a major part of traditional Palestinian agricultural life. Starting in mid-September, several generations of families pick olives together for two months.[8][8] All family members participate in the olive-picking season. Many of these families celebrate the harvest season with traditional Palestinian folk music and dancing.[8]
Many Palestinian families use different customs during the olive picking season, especially when preparing food. Because women are busy picking olives, these families rely on canned food.[9]
In recent years, the Ministry of Education and some universities have given students special vacations so they can participate in the olive-picking season with their families.
Production
[change | change source]| Location | Total olives/ton | Total pressing of olive oil/ton | Total value added /million dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestine | 108,379.1 | 24,758.2 | 10.9 |
| West Bank | 88,356.4 | 21,241.5 | 9.1 |
| Gaza strip | 20,022.6 | 3,517.0 | 1.8 |
Image Gallery
[change | change source]-
-
Grafting olive trees with pen to obtain a good variety. -
Grafting olive trees with good varieties to obtain better production. -
Pruning rejuvenation of large olive trees.
Related pages
[change | change source]- Faculty of Agriculture at An-Najah National University
- Agriculture in the State of Palestine
- Palestinian Oil and Olive Council
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Main Economic Indicators for Olive Presses Activity in Palestine by Governorate, 2014". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ Lodolini, E.M.; Ali, S.; Mutawea, M.; Qutub, M.; Arabasi, T.; Pierini, F.; Neri, D. (2014). "Complementary irrigation for sustainable production in olive groves in Palestine". Agricultural Water Management. 134: 104–109. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2013.12.006. ISSN 0378-3774.
- ↑ The Besieged Palestinian Agricultural Sector (PDF). United Nations Conference on Trade and Development - UNCTAD. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ↑ Liphschitz, Nili; Gophna, Ram; Hartman, Moshe; Biger, Gideon (1991). "The beginning of olive (olea europaea) cultivation in the old world: A reassessment". Journal of Archaeological Science. 18 (4): 441–453. doi:10.1016/0305-4403(91)90037-P. ISSN 0305-4403.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kaniewski, David; Van Campo, Elise; Boiy, Tom; Terral, Jean-Frédéric; Khadari, BouchaÏb; Besnard, Guillaume (2012). "Primary domestication and early uses of the emblematic olive tree: palaeobotanical, historical and molecular evidence from the Middle East". Biological Reviews. 87 (4): 885–899. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2012.00229.x. ISSN 1464-7931.
- ↑ Barbara Rose Johnston; Lisa Hiwasaki; Irene J. Klaver (21 December 2011). Water, Cultural Diversity, and Global Environmental Change: Emerging Trends, Sustainable Futures?. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 496. ISBN 978-94-007-1773-2. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020.
- ↑ Bowen, Jeremy (2014). "Israel and the Palestinians: A conflict viewed through olives". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Darweish, M (2012). Challenging post-conflict environments : sustainable agriculture. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate. pp. 175–188. ISBN 9781409434825.
- ↑ قطف ثمار الزيتون، وكالة وفا Archived 1 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Main Economic Indicators for Olive Presses Activity in Palestine by Governorate, 2014". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2016.