Despite the ongoing war in Israel, the sweet potato harvest for 2024 looks promising with the local market the main priority for the industry. Guy David, Head of Israel's Sweet Potato Industry Association, says, "The war caused major challenges in the planting season. We now have many Thai workers in the fields. The planting is going much better, because the Thai labourers work very hard. We are very happy with this and expecting a good yield."
Guy David, Head of Israel's Sweet Potato Industry Association.
A lot of the sweet potato fields are located around the Northern border with Gaza, which has become a militarised zone. David says growers managed to plant more in the middle of the country. "We have been able to shift production to the middle of the country with the help of many people. We're seeing a very good yield of sweet potatoes. We managed to plant much more sweet potatoes in the centre of Israel."
He says around 12,000 dunams (1,200 hectares) of sweet potatoes are planted, all under irrigation. "Because of this, our yield is much more. We do not export much. Our focus is not on exports, but on the main market in Israel, since the British Pound and Euro are both lower than it used to be to the Israeli shekel. Some input costs also became very expensive due to the war. The war also affects other production countries in the region who used to send produce through Gaza to Israel but can't do so anymore," states David.
He is in charge of marketing of David's Fruit, their family business started by his late father Itay David, with the farm based in Moshav Adanim in central Israel. Guy's mother Michelle David is now the owner of the business with his brother Idan David who is in charge of the field. They grow mainly sweet potatoes and other vegetables.
Planning first world sweet potato congress in Israel
"We are busy arranging the first world congress of sweet potatoes in Israel. If it was not for the war, we would've already hosted the event here. The aim is to hold the world congress every two years," concludes David.
For more information:
Guy David
David's Fruit
Tel: +972 545833353
Email: [email protected]