The rituals of planting and harvesting wheat and barley are part of the Palestinian heritage, in addition to its nutritional and economic value for farmers, through the grain it provides in addition to straw and hay for herders.
Nabil Abu Muammar, a wheat and barley farmer, says: “As for the harvest, it depends on its quality. If it is abundant, the farmer profits by selling it in the market, and if it is not abundant, he profits from it. make flour for her children. This year’s harvest fluctuates between fifty and sixty percent compared to previous years.
The area of ​​land cultivated with wheat and barley in Gaza is estimated at around 20,000 square kilometres, with half of this area under wheat producing around two thousand tons each year.
Although this production is not comparable to what Gaza imports of wheat each year, at 61,000 tons, according to the latest statistics from last year, the harvest of these crops provides a job opportunity for many young people. unemployed graduates.
Nasr Jabara, a wheat and barley farmer, said: “For me, I graduated ten years ago, and I used manual labor for harvesting or vegetables and whatever. what in order to get a job.”
In addition to manual harvesting, machines for harvesting wheat and barley are involved in large fields, helping farmers to separate grain from straw and hay which are sold to herders.
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