Al-Quds Fund Finances Projects to Empower Palestinian Farmers in Jerusalem Governorate

SadaNews - Yesterday, Wednesday, the Al-Quds Fund and the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture signed an agreement in Ramallah to finance the "Sumoud" project aimed at empowering Palestinian farmers in the Jerusalem Governorate, in the presence of the Moroccan ambassador to Palestine, Abdel Rahim Mzian, and the agency’s officials in Jerusalem.

The agreement was signed by the Palestinian Minister of Agriculture, Rizq Salimiya, and the director in charge of the Al-Quds Fund, Mohamed Salem Al-Sharqawi. The project initially targets supporting 250 Jerusalem farmers through implementing three interventions, including the distribution of agricultural seedlings, the provision of water tanks and water transport cans, and providing veterinary kits to support livestock in the region.

Minister Salimiya explained on this occasion that the signing of this agreement comes at a time of great importance to support the resilience of farmers in Jerusalem and its surroundings, helping them to remain on their lands and enhancing their means of survival, indicating that it represents the beginning of a series of future projects.

Salimiya praised the ongoing support provided by the Al-Quds Fund, under the guidance of Moroccan King Mohammed VI, the President of the Al-Quds Committee, for the benefit of Jerusalem farmers.

For his part, the director in charge of managing the Al-Quds Fund confirmed that this agreement is part of a series of programs and initiatives implemented by the Al-Quds Fund, under the kind directives of King Mohammed VI, to support all segments of the people of Jerusalem, including small farmers both inside and outside the city, and enable them to continue their agricultural activities amid increasing challenges.

Following this, Al-Sharqawi, accompanied by the deputy minister of agriculture, engineer Badr Al-Hawamda, and the director general of international relations and public affairs and media at the ministry, Mahmoud Fattah, visited agricultural projects in the villages of Beit Surik and Biddu, as well as a sheep farming farm in the village of Al-Jdeira, and listened to the experiences of its owners and their success stories in preserving their lands, which are now surrounded by settlements from all sides.

On the occasion of this visit, the project owners appreciated all initiatives supporting the steadfastness of Palestinian farmers and expressed their gratitude for the roles played by the Al-Quds Fund in this area, under the directives of the Moroccan king, especially through the annual "Aounah" campaigns for olive harvesting, or through the "Sumoud" project to support farmers, which is sponsored by the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and the Jerusalem Governorate, and implemented by the Land Research Center, the ministry's executive partner in the field.