JENIN AND JORDAN VALLEY FARMERS FACE LOSSES DUE TO

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000869 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS; TREASURY FOR NUGENT/HIRSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD PREL KWBG IS SUBJECT: JENIN AND JORDAN VALLEY FARMERS FACE LOSSES DUE TO SPOILAGE, DENIED ENTRY, AND CUSTOMER NONPAYMENT REF: JERUSALEM 220 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: FARMERS FROM JENIN AND THE NORTHERN JORDAN VALLEY COMPLAIN THAT CHECKPOINT DELAYS, MISHANDLING OF PRODUCE, LIMITED CROSSING HOURS, AND LACK OF TRAVEL PRIVILEGES TO ISRAEL ADVERSELY AFFECT LOCAL AGRICULTURAL TRADE. JENIN FARMERS ALSO COMPLAIN THAT ISRAELI AUTHORITIES ARBITRARILY USE LABORATORY TESTS TO PREVENT ENTRY OF PALESTINIAN PRODUCTS. THE JIFTLIK FARMERS UNION SAID THESE PROCEDURES HAVE LED TO A LOSS OF 50 PERCENT OF PRODUCE SALES FROM THE NORTHERN JORDAN VALLEY, DUE TO SPOILAGE, DUMPING, OR NONPAYMENT. THEY ALSO WANT THE BISAN/BARDALA CROSSING TO OPEN AT 4 AM SO THEY CAN REACH ISRAELI PRODUCE MARKETS BEFORE SHOPPERS ARRIVE. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) ON APRIL 16 IN JENIN, USAID'S PALESTINIAN INTEGRATED TRADE ARRANGEMENT (PITA) PROJECT CONTRACTORS MET SAADEH IRSHID, OWNER OF 500 ACRES OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMS NEAR JENIN AND IN THE JORDAN VALLEY; ADNAN JARADAT, AN AGRICULTURAL EXPORT BROKER; IBRAHIM HADDAD, MANAGER OF A FARMING EQUIPMENT FACTORY; AND JENIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REPRESENTATIVE NASER ATIANI. PITA CONTRACTORS ALSO MET APRIL 25 WITH OMAR ABU HANIEH, HEAD OF THE JIFTLIK FARMERS UNION, AND EIGHT OTHER PRODUCE FARMERS FROM THE NORTHERN JORDAN VALLEY. SPOILAGE AND NON-TARIFF BARRIERS CURTAIL JENINS AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) ACCORDING TO THE JENIN-AREA BUSINESSMEN, TRUCKS OFTEN WAIT TO TRANSFER GOODS TO ISRAEL AT CROSSINGS FOR TWO TO THREE HOURS IN THE MID-DAY SUN, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THEIR PRODUCE. ECONOFF VISITED THE JALAMEH CROSSING, JUST NORTH OF JENIN, ON MAY 3 AND OBSERVED THAT ALL GOODS, INCLUDING PRODUCE, MUST BE PALLETIZED AND TRANSFERRED BACK-TO-BACK. NEITHER THE CROSSINGQPARKING LOTS NOR THE TRANSFER AREAS FOR GOODS ARE SHADED. ¶4. (SBU) THE BUSINESSMEN FEARED THAT DELAYS COULD WORSEN AS THE SEASONAL HARVEST PEAKS IN THE JENIN AREA, WHEN 1,700 TRUCKS OF CUCUMBERS FROM THE NORTHERN WEST BANK NEED TO REACH ISRAELI PICKLE FACTORIES IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. (NOTE: THE HEAD OF THE TRUCK DRIVERS' UNION IN JENIN SAID THAT OPERATING HOURS OF THE JALAMEH CROSSING HAVE BEEN EXTENDED BY THREE HOURS DAILY DURING CUCUMBER SEASON. END NOTE.) ¶5. (SBU) THE BUSINESSMEN ADDED THAT ISRAELI AUTHORITIES REQUIRE ADVANCE TESTING IN ISRAELI LABORATORIES OF SAMPLES OF FRESH PRODUCE THAT PALESTINIAN FARMERS INTEND TO EXPORT. THEY CLAIMED THAT THIS PROCEDURE IS USED ARBITRARILY TO PROTECT ISRAELI AGRICULTURE BY DENYING ENTRY TO PALESTINIAN PRODUCE. JARADAT MENTIONED THAT ONE OF HIS PALESTINIAN CUCUMBER SUPPLIERS SENT IN THREE DIFFERENT SAMPLES FROM THE SAME FIELD FOR TESTING, AND TWO OF THE THREE SAMPLES WERE REJECTED. THE BUSINESSMEN REQUESTED THAT AN ON-SITE LABORATORY BE BUILT AT JALAMEH CROSSING TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY AND REDUCE WAIT TIMES FOR RESULTS. HALF OF NORTHERN JORDAN VALLEY PRODUCE GOES TO WASTE -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) ABU HANIEH SAID THAT TRUCK DRIVERS FROM THE JORDAN VALLEY SOMETIMES DO NOT LEARN THAT THEIR SHIPMENTS HAVE FAILED THE LABORATORY TESTS UNTIL THEY ARRIVE AT THE CROSSING. HE ADDED THAT THEY ARE THEN FORCED TO DUMP THEIR GOODS ON THE GROUND. ¶7. (SBU) THE JORDAN VALLEY FARMERS ASSERTED THAT 50 PERCENT OF PRODUCE SALES FROM THE NORTHERN JORDAN VALLEY ARE LOST, DUE TO SPOILAGE, DUMPING, OR NONPAYMENT BY ISRAELI CUSTOMERS. THEY EXPLAINED THAT AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ISRAELI CUSTOMERS NEVER PAY FOR THE PRODUCE THEY RECEIVE, CLAIMING BANKRUPTCY OR SIMPLY REFUSING TO ANSWER THEIR PHONES. THEY OBSERVED THAT VERY FEW FARMERS CAN GET BUSINESSMAN CARDS (BMCS) OR PERMITS TO ENTER ISRAEL, AND SO THEY HAVE NO WAY TO SEEK LEGAL RECOURSE IN ISRAEL. PITA CONTRACTORS SAID THAT THIS PHENOMENON AFFECTS THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ACROSS ALL GOVERNORATES, AND THEY ARE BEGINNING TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE LEGAL REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO PALESTINIANS. ¶8. (SBU) IRSHID STATED THAT HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A PERMIT TO ACCESS HIS FARMLAND IN THE JORDAN VALLEY FOR TWO YEARS, AND NEITHER HAVE MANY OTHER JENIN-BASED FARMERS WHO HAPPEN TO OWN LAND IN THE JORDAN VALLEY. IRSHID SAID HE HAS LEASED HIS JORDAN VALLEY LAND TO ANOTHER PRODUCER BECAUSE HE DOES NOT WANT THE LAND TO STAND IDLE. FARMERS WANT CROSSING HOURS TIMED TO THE MARKET -------------- -- ¶9. (SBU) THE JORDAN VALLEY FARMERS COMPLAINED THAT THE BARDALA/BISAN CROSSING, DEDICATED TO AGRICULTURAL GOODS AND LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN JORDAN VALLEY (REFTEL),IS OPEN FROM 11 AM UNTIL 4 PM AND WORKS ONLY HALF DAYS ON FRIDAYS. (NOTE: PITA CONTRACTORS LATER LEARNED THAT AS OF MAY 11, THE CROSSING WILL NO LONGER OPEN ON FRIDAYS. END NOTE.) FARMERS WOULD PREFER THE CROSSING TO OPEN AT 4 AM INSTEAD, SO THAT THEY COULD GET THEIR PRODUCE TO THE TEL AVIV MARKET BY 8 AM, WHEN CUSTOMERS FIRST ARRIVE. WALLES