Decaying goods, cancellation of orders and loss-of-life • Corona crisis created chaos in the agricultural world • Ido Tamir, owner of a solved farm: "Our hope is private buyers"

• Goods are harvested, no buyers // Photo: Eran Cohen

Right now, there seems to be no area that is not directly or indirectly affected by the Corona crisis, for its many implications. Three areas that have been severely affected by the radical changes are culinary, tourism and events. As a result, the suppliers were also likely to be harmed, many of whom now remain helpless.

In the field of agriculture, which is a major supplier of the above three areas, there is currently chaos. On the one hand, online sites are over-ordering thanks to Israelis who stock themselves in pantry products, cheese and lots of vegetables and fruits. On the other hand, quite a few independent farmers, among others Inactive on the net, they found themselves with large quantities of goods that, at best, would sell at a loss and at worst - would destroy.

Quite a few farmers have been operating in the direct marketing method in recent years, that is, marketing their goods directly, and thus do not operate through an intermediary such as the marketing networks. While the marketing networks send the customer goods for days after harvesting, the farmers promise better quality goods, picking from the same day directly to the customer's house. There are sites that sell farmers group goods, some that operate through Facebook and WhatsApp in restricted areas and there are larger farms that sell their goods on the website.

Habibian Farm

What sells: An organic farm that grows vegetables and offers a variable basket in several sizes that can be shipped to many regions of the country

Where they are: Thanksgiving session near Ashkelon

"Our business is built in such a way that we grow the food for people who eat it, so we don't find ourselves with surpluses or losses," says Michal Habibian, "On the other hand, we work harder because of the Ministry of Health's personnel restrictions, our number of employees has decreased And the work is growing, but we are doing everything possible to satisfy all of their invitees. "

"People's routines have changed," continues Habibian. "People are more at home and their dietary behavior has also changed. There are some that are good and some that are bad. We are one of the businesses that affects them for the better because people want to eat healthier and more vegetables and fruits."

How to order: www.havivian.co.il

Habibian Farm // Photo: Tammuz Rahman

MTL Farm

What sells: A family farm that grows exotic vegetables and regular fruits

Where they are: Session in Bitzaron

"The problem is not just the Corona," Guy and Li Shiri Tal of Mital Farm in Moshav Bitzaron say, "It all came to blows: the storm caused us very serious damage, because the Corona has no entry of foreign workers and there is a backlog in farm work, And this is something that will mainly affect the fruits of the summer, and we would also do tourist tours and picking, but that probably doesn't happen anymore.

"Our farm shop would reach close to 5,000 people each month, the quantity is currently down to 3,000 and who knows what will happen in the future. Everyone flocks to the chains and pressure buys everything there. We have no idea how to reduce the damage, we're more about extinguishing fires."

How to order: Phone for orders and questions - 050-5839541

MTL Farm // Photo: No Credit

Solved farm

What sells: Pantry products - olive oil, spices, honey, cheeses, brews, jams

Where they are: Sde Moshe

"My good fortune is that our products have a longer validity," says Edo Tamir, a farmer and owner of a solved farm from Sde Moshe, "but the main injury is in the large stock of olive oil and honey prepared as part of the ongoing work for the restaurants we work with routinely. Starry gift baskets for the holidays, and quite a few of us have been invited to Passover gift boxes and in the last few days we are experiencing the cancellation of many of them. Customers have simply given up on distributing gifts. "

"We have enclosures that have already been prepared and we have nothing to do with them. Rhyme and special jams that we have prepared, who will ever want it after Passover? If it is not sold until the holiday or on the holiday itself, it will go down the drain. The atmosphere of chaos along with news that is updated in minutes hardly allow A clear mind, because there is no clarity about anything. The business audience is panicking right now and just stopping everything, so our hope and target audience these days are just the private audience and for that reason we have also moved to increased delivery.

How To Order: Our Website: https://www.ptora.co.il/ Coupon 10% Off All Products: WeLoveYou

Raz farm

What sells: Cherry tomatoes

Where they are: The truffle settlement in Ramat Negev

Adi Raz says: "I am a fourth-generation farmer. I grow cherry tomatoes for export and local marketing. We have gone through quite a few agricultural crises, but this is the biggest crisis I have encountered since I am a farmer. The last two weeks the tomatoes have not been harvested because there is simply no one to market.

"Unfortunately, the big food chains are taking advantage of the Israeli public in general, and farmers in particular, and prices in the sky. On the one hand, they are raising consumer prices, and on the other, they are lowering our buying prices. For example, today I sell kg of cherry tomatoes at zero price. Of three shekels to a marketer who prices it five and six times. I couldn't meet the prices they wanted to sell, so network managers preferred to bring in goods from other countries. I would love to market my product to private households. "

Phone for reservations: 054-2883520

Adi Raz // Photo: Alon Fleur

The Rosenberg Farm

What sells: dates and basil

Where they are: Ein Tamar session in the Tamar Regional Council

Itzik Rosenberg (Rosie), 62, says: "I have been engaged in farming for many years and have not experienced such a difficult time. I have 100 acres of dates and basil, and a very large part of the produce I exported, until the beginning of the Corona crisis, to the whole world.

"Since the beginning of the crisis, the situation has become very difficult. I have large basil greenhouses that will go to destruction, unfortunately. Most countries in the world have closed the sky, and we will not be able to export abroad. The market is dead and my goods will go down the drain. I have Thai workers and students from overseas who need to support, and I don't know how we can survive. Every day I pay over NIS 6,000 in wages, not including inputs. Agriculture is our life. The country must help us fast! Who want quality basil - we would love! "

How to order: Itzik - 052-8991112

Meller farm municipality field // Photo: Alon Feller

Meller Farm

What sells: spices and herbs

Where they are: Na'ama seat in the Jordan Valley

"We, the Meller family from Na'ama, have a large and diverse herb farm! Third and fourth generation farmers in Israel. Spice growers for almost 30 years. Following the Corona crisis, our fields and greenhouses are filled with unparalleled produce. We decided that in order not to throw away the produce and also to please others, we would start with direct selling - NIS 5 per 100 grams, and we make shipments to almost the entire country - basil, rocola, rosemary, thyme, Louisa, mint, coriander, parsley and more. "

How to order: //www.tavlineyntz.com

Went home

What sells: Fresh vegetables and fruits

Where they are: Tel Aviv to Pardes Hanna

Yuval Hellman owner says: "Our situation is very complex. Our main job is to deliver the goods to restaurants, so some of our products are also very special. People who buy home buy the basic products, they don't buy edible flowers or wasabi root, for example - what "It was supposed to be the hit of the coming period. We have a home-based job that really engages us but it's not the same volume, it doesn't replace the 200,000 seedlings we harvest or don't harvest because they have no demand."

"We lose a lot of money despite the work, lots of money. We have goods that we plant, grow - and not harvest. Every day we have to make a decision on whether to plant and how much to plant. Any lettuce we currently put in the ground will be ready for harvest within 55 days, and we do not know Whatever the situation might be after this time period, we made a decision that we are currently planting, and we would rather lose than come to a situation where we will have to disappoint the customers and tell them that they have to wait two months because we have no goods for them.

"It was precisely the months of March and April that were supposed to be the most enjoyable on the agricultural level - everything blooms and grows uniformly, there is very little damage. It is neither summer nor winter. The period that was supposed to be the happiest for us was the two months when everything just died.

"In addition, we do not have a crazy system of private delivery arm like our competitors. We are increasing it right now."

How to order: www.alehonline.co.il

Leaf vegetable home // Photo: PR

Gadi Golan and Efrat Porcher participated in the preparation