Israeli agriculture lacks manpower

Since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7, many agricultural workers have left the country. 

agricultural workers have left the country, and Israeli agriculture is facing a severe labor shortage.

 

Local and international media quoted the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture as saying that the country needed between 30,000 and 40,000 agricultural workers.

 

According to analyses, this shortage of agricultural labor was caused by the fact that some 360,000 Israeli reservists were called up for military service, as well as by the departure of foreign workers. In Israel before October 7, there were around 30,000 foreign agricultural workers. Some 10,000 have already left, and 20,000 Palestinian farm workers from the West Bank are no longer allowed to enter Israel. 

 

A few weeks ago, the Ministry of Agriculture tried to recruit Israelis to work on the farms, with the promise of USD 780 a month on top of the salary paid by the farmer. Subsequently, attempts were made to recruit farm workers in other countries, such as Malawi, Kenya and Sri Lanka.