Ramallah Together – The Minister of Agriculture, Professor Rizq Salimiyeh, received the Italian Consul General in Palestine, Mr. Domenico Pilato.
He extended his thanks in advance to friendly Italy for its support of many agricultural relief projects, some of which were concentrated in the southern governorates, and development projects that focused on developing infrastructure, agricultural industries, and water harvesting projects.
Salimiyeh stressed the importance of continuing Italian support for the Palestinian agricultural sector, pointing to the great destruction that befell the Palestinian agricultural sector, especially in the southern governorates, which created a difficult living reality in terms of food insecurity and famine, in addition to targeting farmers and their property on an almost daily basis in the West Bank. Pastoral settlement, control of natural resources, burning and uprooting trees, and deportation of communities.
Salimiyeh also reviewed an emergency response plan prepared by the
Ministry of Agriculture in consultation with its partners and axes related to conducting descriptive and numerical studies of the damage to the agricultural sector with all its components.
The Ministry’s directions in the West Bank were also discussed, which are a combination of relief and development plans, which are based on expanding the agricultural area, increasing production, creating job opportunities, focusing on youth and women, creating a marketing environment, developing water sources, and strengthening the steadfastness of farmers against settlement attacks. The Consul called for the Italian government to adopt the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture to establish an emergency response fund, as well as the possibility of developing a project to support new graduates of agricultural engineers in cooperation with the Engineers Syndicate.
For his part, His Excellency Consul Pilato praised the efforts made by the Ministry of Agriculture to support and develop the agricultural sector, stressing
his country’s continued support for the agricultural sector, which is considered the largest sector that employs the workforce. His Excellency the Consul noted that work is underway to develop a number of relief and development projects.
Source: Maan News Agency