Israeli Farmers Face Crisis as Drought Compensation Falls Short by NIS 17 Million

A historic drought that ravaged Israel’s winter crops in the 2024/25 growing season has left hundreds of farmers in financial peril, as the Agricultural Natural Damage Fund (KENT) announced it lacks NIS 17 million needed to fully compensate for the damage.

David Levy, CEO of the Field Workers' Organization, has urgently appealed to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter to act immediately to bridge the shortfall. Without the missing funds, Levy warns, many farmers will be unable to sow wheat or other staple crops next season.

“If the required compensation is not paid, farmers simply will not sow wheat next year,” said Levy. “They cannot afford to risk their entire income again without support.”

Drought Devastates Over One Million Dunams of Crops

The 2024/25 winter season saw 50% less rainfall than the multi-year average across most regions of Israel, making it one of the worst droughts in over a century. The drought severely affected essential winter crops such as wheat, barley, oats, chickpeas, clover, peas, and quinoa.

Wheat, covering approximately 1.1 million dunams of agricultural land, was particularly devastated.

According to KENT, the total estimated compensation for affected farmers stands at NIS 42 million, but the fund currently has only NIS 25 million available. The gap of NIS 17 million threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of farmers, despite their full payment of insurance premiums for income protection.

Levy emphasized that KENT is the only available crop insurer in Israel, and a functioning insurance mechanism is critical for enabling farmers to begin a growing season.

“Farmers who were severely affected by the drought will not be able to prepare their agricultural areas next year without receiving full compensation,” he said. “This would deal a lasting blow to the entire industry.”

Call for Immediate Government Intervention

The Field Workers’ Organization is calling on the government to urgently allocate emergency funds to cover the shortfall, warning of a national food security threat and further economic fallout if farmers are forced to abandon planting next season.

Agricultural groups and rural communities are closely watching for a response from the ministries, with some warning of possible protests or other forms of public pressure if the funding crisis is not resolved.