The American-initiated plan to purchase the Gush Katif greenhouses in the Gaza region and transfer them to the Palestinians has been cancelled. Israeli farmers, aided by hundreds of volunteers, declined the offer and have started dismantling their greenhouses and relocating them to new sites within Israel.

The American agency USAID offered to pay US$16,000 per greenhouse-acre, in addition to the compensation the farmers are due to get from the government. There are nearly 400 hectares of modern greenhouses and other supporting facilities in Gush Katif, which produced a wide range of fresh produce, mainly for export.

The decision of the Gush Katif farmers to remove the greenhouses to their new farms within Israel was acclaimed by farmers' organisations "as a wise move since leaving the modern greenhouses in their original site would compete with Israeli produce on the European markets, as well as causing in the long-run heavy losses to the Israeli farmers."

It is estimated that within two weeks, few days before the official pullout date on August 17, most of the greenhouses will be removed from the Gaza region and re-built in the new farming areas allocated for the Gush Katif farmers.

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