Translated by Tamara Barakat

The Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza said that the export of lemons from Gaza to Jordan was resumed on Wednesday for the first time since 2007. They were exported through the Karam Abu Salem commercial crossing in the southeast of the Gaza Strip.

The Marketing Manager at the Ministry, Tahseen Al-Saqqa, explained that around 70 tons of lemons were loaded on the first truck carrying lemons exported from the Gaza Strip to the Jordanian market. Jordan specifically requested this type of citrus due to its lack in the Jordanian market.

He confirmed that the lemon was exported due to a surplus in the Gazan market. Exporting it helps enhance its price for the farmers and adds profit to the GPD. He expects that a thousand tons of lemon will be exported from Gaza until the end of the peak season.

He also explained that the local production of lemon reaches ten thousand tons. He mentioned that citrus exports have been halted during the past years due to the declining areas of land planted with citrus and the fact that the Israeli occupation prohibited their export outside of Palestine.