rhi date harvest is expected to start around 25-26 July in the south of the country, where it will peak on 1 August. After that it will then move on to the area of the Dead Sea in Jordan and will finish in northern Israel, close to the Galilee Sea. Avi Dagul, founder and CEO of Field Produce Marketing, a company devoted to the production and export of a wide range of Israeli products, explains that “for the Barhi date, our company is mostly focused on the areas of the Dead Sea and the Jordan Plains, where we should harvest around 200 tonnes. We will start exporting by air in late July and by sea throughout August and perhaps a little in early September.”
Overall, Israel’s harvest usually reaches around 3,000 tonnes. “Last year, we obtained 150 tonnes, so we have grown a little. Our main destinations (also for Israel as a whole) are Spain and France, with some shipments going to India and Singapore. France is a particularly good market, with some 1,000-1,500 tonnes, as Barhi dates are popular amongst Muslims,” explains Avi. “Canada is also a pretty big market for Barhi dates, as there are prominent Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian communities.”
For the Medjool date, of which Israel is the world’s largest producer, the harvest should start around mid-August in the south, close to the Red Sea, and will gradually move north to the Dead Sea and the Jordan Plains, peaking in early September.
According to Avi, “Israel’s total production is expected to reach around 23,000 tonnes; 2,000 more than last year. Field Produce Marketing, with 25,000 trees, accounts for 10% of that total, making them Israel’s third largest producer.”
Around 70-75% of all Medjool dates will go to various destinations in Central and Western Europe.
