STORY: Farmers in Gaza embrace promising date harvest season
DATELINE: Oct. 4, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:57
LOCATION: Gaza, Palestine
CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of farmers harvesting dates
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MOHAMMED BARAKA, Local farmer
3. various of farmers harvesting dates
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MEDIEN ABU RUJAILA, Local farmer

STORYLINE:

The annual date harvest season kicks off in the Gaza Strip in the first week of Oct.

According to the Hamas-run agriculture ministry in Gaza, this year's harvest will last until mid-Nov., and the coastal enclave is expected to produce about 15,000 tons of dates this year, a rebound from low yield last year under the impact of bad weather.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): MOHAMMED BARAKA, Local farmer
"We are currently in the season of harvesting dates, which comes in the month of Oct. The planting comes in four stages, starting from pollination to harvesting dates. This season is a source of livelihood that we wait for from year to year. Everyone waits for it to reap profits."

The season bears the hopes of Palestinian farmers for more income and provides jobs for unemployed local people.

Medien Abu Rujaila, a farmer, told Xinhua that he waits for the yearly harvest season to get a seasonal job to keep his family afloat.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): MEDIEN ABU RUJAILA, Local farmer
"Production is good this year, which is promising, but prices are very difficult because there is a lot of production and therefore prices will be low."

In the peak harvest season, "I work for 12 hours a day and can earn about 40 U.S. dollars," said the 42-year-old father of six, adding that the money he saved during the harvest season could feed his family for two months at least.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza.
(XHTV)