Israeli Farmers Sound Alarm Over Severe Drought: CEO of Field Workers' Organization Urges Immediate Government Action

The ongoing drought and lack of rainfall are pushing Israeli agriculture into a crisis, with devastating consequences for crop production and food security, warned David Levy, CEO of the Field Workers' Organization, in an urgent appeal to Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Avi Dichter.

In a letter sent recently, Levy outlined the critical challenges facing field growers across the country, emphasizing the immediate need to increase water quotas and eliminate penalty tariffs on water used for agriculture. "The lack of rain and the severe drought are severely affecting farmers' crops and yields," Levy stated. "We must act now to safeguard the nation’s food supply."

Dramatic Shortfall in Grain Production

The winter of 2024–2025 saw less than 50% of average rainfall, forcing many farmers to reduce cultivated areas. This led to a catastrophic drop in local grain production, with projections indicating that just 10,000 tons will be harvested this year — less than 10% of the typical one million tons produced annually for food consumption.

Farmers have been compelled to rely heavily on irrigation to meet both human and livestock needs, significantly increasing water consumption at a time when national water reserves are already stretched thin.

Expected Damages to Crop Production

Levy warned that, unless urgent measures are taken, farmers could face severe losses later in the year, including:

• A significant decline in open-field vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, and leafy greens.

• Reduced yields of industrial crops, including corn, tomatoes, beans, broccoli, and cauliflower.

• Irreversible drought damage to grain and fodder crops, of which over 90% are non-irrigated.

• Increased summer irrigation demand to grow corn silage in response to the winter fodder shortage.

• A substantial drop in summer seed crop yields, including peanuts, sunflowers, chickpeas, cotton, and watermelon.

Levy's Policy Recommendations

To mitigate the crisis and support local farmers, Levy called on Minister Dichter to prioritize a series of immediate policy changes:

1. Authorize water consumption up to 30% beyond current allocations and cancel all excess-rate charges for all water types (fresh, brackish, mixed, and recycled).

2. Lift restrictions on water transfers and diversions to ensure full national quota utilization without imposing exceptional fees.

3. Direct the Water Authority to reallocate remaining freshwater balances to growers who exceeded their quotas by year-end 2025.

4. Offer financial incentives for spring and summer fodder cultivation to compensate for lost winter yields.

“A Policy Shift Is Needed to Avoid a National Crisis”

"The situation is becoming unsustainable," Levy emphasized. "Growers are being forced to ration their water use and drastically cut back on crop planning. Without intervention, the long-term consequences for Israel’s food supply could be dire."

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has yet to release an official response, but internal sources suggest that discussions are underway with the Water Authority and the Finance Ministry to assess the feasibility of Levy’s proposals.

As climate unpredictability continues to challenge Israeli agriculture, the pressure mounts on government bodies to deliver swift, decisive action to safeguard food production and farmer livelihoods.