Growers in Israel are reeling from Sunday’s stormy conditions, the Jerusalem Post has reported.
Hail and heavy rain caused damage worth tens of millions of shekels (€2m plus), according to an initial assessment by the Kanat Insurance Fund for Risks in Agriculture.
The Farmers Federation of Israel has predicted a subsequent hike in prices of summer fruit.
Thousands of acres of orchards were hit, damaging both the infrastructure, including nets designed to protect the crop, and the blossoming fruit itself.
Meanwhile, excess water in the soil was responsible for damage to the roots of many plants.
'As if we were not experiencing enough crises, hail damages [Sunday] night are terrible news to farmers who are already on the verge of collapse and bankruptcy,' said the federation’s president, Dubi Amitai.
'Due to the heavy damage, summer fruit prices are expected to increase,' he went on. 'The Israeli government must awaken to the sound of our pleas, otherwise agriculture will be eliminated and along with it, settlement and national security.'
