Israeli date growers aim to export 12,000 tonne a year of the popular date variety Medjoul within three years, by increasing plantation areas in different parts of the country.
This decision is based on the high prices this variety fetches on export markets, according to the Israel Date Growers cooperative. At present, there are 500 hectares of fruit-bearing plantations of the Medjoul and 800ha of young trees, out of the total 2,500ha of all varieties of which 1,400ha are fruit-bearing trees.
According to the Date Growers Cooperative, worldwide production of the Medjoul date amounts to 10,000t a year, of which Israel produces 6,000t, making it the world's largest supplier of this variety.
Other major growers of this variety are California, which produces 5,000t (of which 1,500t are for export), Mexico ñ 1,000t, and South Africa, producing 350t, with a production potential of 1,500t by 2006.
Of the total date yield in Israel in 2003 of 16,500t, half will be exported, mostly to western Europe. Other than Medjoul, the main date varieties grown in Israel are Medjoul, Hayani, Barhi, Deglet Nour and Zahidi.
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