Ogen and Leket Israel collaborated to mobilize millions of dollars to help the struggling agricultural field in both the southern and northern provinces, where many of the country’s fruits and vegetables are grown, in the midst of the October 7 Hamas problems. Farmers are therefore faced with immediate financial needs while the nation is plagued by shortages and rate increases in vital make. The Leket and Ogen organization’s officials, as well as farmers who were impacted by the war, were contacted by The Media Line to gain knowledge of the effects and treatment efforts. Agriculture in Israel has experienced the biggest labor crisis since the state’s creation, according to the report from October 7. This is due to the mobilization of some workers for supply services or not reporting to work out of fear, international workers returning to their home countries, workers from Palestinian Authority neighborhoods under shutdown, and the eviction of some residents from their homes, according to Dafna Yurista, a ministry of agriculture representative. Thousands of farmers have been impacted. Farmers in the North are completely at a loss. They are very risky to work in their areas. According to government statistics, before the” Iron Swords” war, there were 29, 900 international workers in agribusiness, most of whom were from Thailand. At the start of the battle, about 9, 948 staff returned to their home state, along with about 12, 000- 10, 000 employees from Palestinian Authority places. So, Jewish crops faced a deficit of about 20, 000 employees. Joseph Gitler, founder and chairman of Leket Israel–the National Food Bank, described function with producers as a unique program of the business. ” Thousands of farmers have been impacted. Farmers in the North are completely at a loss. It’s also dangerous for them to move and function in their grounds”, he said. Gitler claims that in the months following the war, the production of fruits and vegetables decreased by 80 %. In consequence,” Many producers have suffered significant economic damage as a result of the effects of October 7.” We’ve been supporting them in a variety of ways, from picking for them to sending participants to awarding them offers. We even realized that one thing missing was providing funding to farmers “.Yishayahu Shaked, a 72- season- old producer from Netiv Ha’asara, has been growing vegetables for 45 years. He claimed that his company was spending a lot of money after the Hamas assault on October 7 occurred. The vegetables were harvested just before the October 7th. Typically, we put a lot of money into the procedure, and after the harvest, we get the cash back. Just before the attacks occurred, all of our money were in the gardens, he claimed. After the assault, Shaked was forced to leave Netiv Ha’asara. Due to the military position, he did not have any exposure to the plants. There was no means to get to the make because it had been left for decades to perish. All was gone. But more than that, all the species were ruined. There was no way to get to the make because it had been left for decades to perish. All was gone. But more than that, all the species were ruined”, he explained. Producers were permitted to return to their fields for only two hours while accompanied by the army a fortnight after October 7. After that, they were permitted to be there from 7 in the morning until 4 in the evening. Ultimately, Shaked had to resume the whole procedure in all his plants. That is a great economic hardship. I lost all of my funding. More than that, missiles keep being fired from Gaza. Some of them hit and destroyed my gardens. ” That is a huge financial hardship. I lost all of my funding. More than that, missiles keep being fired from Gaza. Some of them hit and destroyed my plants”, he shared with The Media Line. In response to the struggles of the agricultural industry, Ogen, a cultural banking sector, has launched a complete revival system. Ogen has introduced two lending tracks: the Farmers ‘ Immediate Relief Track and the Long-Term Agricultural Relief Track, as part of its Swords of Iron Emergency Relief Fund. The Long-Term Track targets those who require significant capital investment while working with Leket Israel to support small-scale farmers facing cash-flow issues. Oxen has already raised$ 55 million and plans to raise$ 100 million to assist over a quarter of a million people. Since its inception, the fund has disbursed over$ 21 million in loans, primarily supporting vulnerable communities, including farmers and reserve soldiers. Shaked said that the 300, 000- shekel loan at a fixed rate of 3 % loan has helped him and his farm tremendously. It made it possible for me to reinvest the funds in the greenhouses and the farm. Without it, I would n’t be able to continue”, he added. Gitler emphasized that many farmers across the nation are now able to obtain these opportunities. Our task is to spread the word about the possibility to farmers. Then, once they’ve filled out the paperwork, the experts at Ogen take over. That includes providing business advice to farmers who need it, he said, and approving the loan, servicing it, and doing so. ” A lot of these farmers had good, healthy businesses, and they’ve just been temporarily damaged. They need cash flow now to get them through this stretch”, Gitler added. Ogen’s vice president of development and partnerships, Eldan Kaye, explained to The Media Line that Israel’s food security is a major strategic issue for the country. &# 13,
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Top Stories &# 13:” We need to be there to support these farmers and to rebuild Israel’s food security because we cannot rely on external resources for our own food, regardless of where this war is going.” That’s our opinion and the opinion of many other experts”, he said. Kaye explained that the organization was a part of the government guarantee program. The team hoped that the government would pay for the loans ‘ costs. However, that did not happen. Unfortunately, the government decided to close that down because that’s not an emergency. That means that we’re relying on philanthropy. A lot comes from North America, but also from within Israel. ” Unfortunately, the government decided to close that down because that’s not an emergency. That means that we’re relying on philanthropy. A lot comes from North America, but also from within Israel”, he told The Media Line. Kaye observed that many farmers were exhausted. ” They think: Why am I doing this? I’m going to give it up. But we are here to help. The last thing we want is for a farmer to stop working the land and have 30 years of experience to do it. That would make a significant dent in Israel’s economy”, he said. Although promised funds, he claimed that he had not yet received any support from the government. The problems with food security will get more and more pressing as the war gets longer. Farmers ‘ continued food production is very important to the State of Israel. In case the world turns on us, we need to know that we have our own food security. ” I believe that it’s very important for the area that the farmers keep working.” It strengthens the country. However, I now feel like we farmers are fighting both the bureaucracy in Israel and Hamas. I hope we will win on two fronts”, he said. The issues of food security are going to get more and more pressing the longer the war gets. Farmers ‘ continued food production is very important to the State of Israel. In case the world turns on us, we need to know that we have our own food security,” Gitler said.
