Agriculture Min. must fix local farming deficiencies since war started, comptroller says

Local farming lost 670 million shekels in the first six months of the Israel-Hamas War, constituting a 25% drop in production. Additionally, the sector experienced a 58% decline in foreign workers.

Agriculture and Raw Food Security Minister Avi Dichter (Likud) must act immediately to fix the deficiencies in the ministry that emerged after the war broke out, in the lack of preparation and proper service to farmers, a new report by the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, published on Tuesday, found.

“During the war, the farmers and agriculture branch stood at the very front line, clinging to land at a risk to their own lives by direct fire, and continued to work their fields and farms under fire, with the help of volunteers,” said Englman.

This is the fifth such report by the State Comptroller on the Israel-Hamas War, and the survey took place between January and November 2024, and included the Agriculture and Raw Foods Ministry, several other offices, and a roundtable with farmers.

Out of the 1,500 people killed and kidnapped on October 7, 2023, included were 56 farmers, as well as 52 foreign workers and 13 students. One such figure is Bipin Joshi, an agriculture student who was kidnapped by Hamas in Kibbutz Alumim. The last sign of life from Joshi was recorded in November 2023.

Fifty-two dairy facilities were struck in the attack, with the total damages to local agriculture during the first six months of the war estimated at 670 million shekels.

In the first few months of the war, the sector experienced a drop of 58%, or 21,000, foreign workers and Palestinians.

Additionally, the Comptroller found that the drop in local agricultural production in the first six months of the war was about 25%.

Englman said, “This report points to central deficiencies in the preparation of the Agriculture Ministry and other relevant elements for the emergency situation we found ourselves in, and in authorities’ response after the war broke out and continued.”

Ministry must update emergency response plan, ensure integration of existing threats, developments, Englman says

Englman determined that the ministry must complete preparations for a model scenario and an updated emergency response plan to ensure the integration into the ministry’s activities of existing threats and developments in the agricultural sector.

The ministry must also periodically examine the composition of the labor market in the agricultural sector and implement appropriate and effective solutions to address labor shortages during emergencies.

The Comptroller further determined that the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), which operates under the Defense Ministry, must ensure coordination for all of these new preparations, and that the Ministry mirrors the preparations in its updates as well.

NEMA, as well, must monitor the handling of deficiencies identified in its inspections and must verify that such deficiencies are corrected in accordance with the timetables it establishes.

In addition, the Comptroller noted, the Foreign Affairs Ministry must, in cooperation with the Agriculture Ministry, the production boards, and representatives of the farmers, act to implement the existing bilateral agreements for the recruitment of foreign workers.

These reports come as the State Comptroller’s Office has gone head-to-head against both the IDF Public Defense and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, the latter of whom represents the position that the most appropriate method of investigation into the failures of October 7 is a State Commission of Inquiry, and that a separate but parallel investigation could harm the credibility of both.

The State Comptroller’s Office has insisted that if such a COI is established, it would cooperate with it to establish boundary lines and has added that time is of the essence; if a COI faces political resistance, these inquiries will have to be done.