Resource information
This sectoral Strategy is a review of the Agriculture Sector Strategy 2011 – 2013 aiming at reaching of the Vision of a sustainable and feasible agriculture sector that can compete domestically and externally; and can effectively contribute to enhancing food security and the connection between the Palestinian people and their land, while also enhancing Palestinian state-building efforts through resource sovereignty. The document highlights 4 priorities for the sector, as follows: (i) achieve efficient management and sustainable use of natural resources, particularly in Area C (under full Israeli control); (ii) improve the productivity and competitiveness of crops and agricultural commodities; (iii) development and provision of agricultural support services to farmers and other stakeholders; and (iv) development of institutional and human capacity of agricultural. In the light of these priorities, 4 strategic objectives are identified and set up in a manner that allows their achievement in the medium and long term (5 to 10 years). The four SOs are: Ensure farmers’ resilience and attachment to their land, while fulfilling the contribution of the agriculture sector in providing requirements for development of the State of Palestine; Efficient and sustainable management of natural resources; Enhanced agricultural production, productivity and competitiveness, as well as enhanced contribution of agriculture to food security; and The agriculture sector has effective and efficient capacities, institutional frameworks, legal environment, infrastructure and agricultural services.During the three years of the Strategy, 3 sectoral programs will be implemented: Agricultural Development Program (reclamation and rehabilitation of land, roads construction, water harvesting and improving the efficiency of water resources and irrigation systems as well as projects to improve production, productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector); Improvement of Agricultural Services Program (concerning the services provided to farmers and other stakeholders, particularly in the field of extension, veterinary and plant protection in addition to the establishment and rehabilitation of laboratories and gene banks, as well as seed multiplication centers); and Administrative Program (develop the administrative, financial, legal capacities of Ministry of Agriculture). The programs constitute the translation and response to the four strategic objectives and they are presented with the programs of the budget and with the requirements of the guidelines of procedures for the preparation of the budget programs and performance issued by the Ministry of Finance.To help eliminate hunger and food insecurity and also to reduce rural poverty, the Strategy provides for (i) the realization of integrated agricultural and rural development along with the best utilization of land to strengthen farmers’ resilience, enhancing the status of food security and living standards for farmers and rural localities; (ii) supporting farmers who rely on land in Area C and in the Gaza Strip and empowering them to stay in the farming business; (iii) support and protect marginalized groups, especially smallholder farmers, impoverished people in rural areas, women and Bedouins to ensure food security at the household-level and provide jobs and additional income to rural localities; (iv) enforce agricultural control at borders and build national laboratories to guarantee the quality and safety of food, agricultural products and livestock entering Palestine.In order to make agriculture and forestry more productive and sustainable, the Strategy asks for: (i) improving the management of supply and demand on water used in agriculture to guarantee additional water from traditional and non-traditional sources, as well as enhance irrigation water efficiency and utilization; (ii) increasing available agricultural areas through land reclamation and development, construction and rehabilitation of agricultural lands; (iii) promote greater utilization of the lands that are only good for forestation or rangelands, whether public or private, by planting them with forest trees or pasture plants; (iv) support a sector-wide shift towards intensive and semi-intensive production systems and apply modern agricultural production systems in line with sustainable development requirements; and (v) steer agricultural production to meet domestic and external market needs and enhance competitiveness.To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters steps are required to either adapt to, or limit, the effects of climate change.As for the governance, the monitoring and evaluation process is one of the most important tools to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in the use of available resources and the Ministry of Agriculture is establishing a monitoring and evaluation system for the agricultural sector.
