Agricultural Development in the West Bank (ص 51)
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- Agricultural Development in the West Bank (ص 51)
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homen's share in agricultural labour, though difficult to quantify,
is mich more important than is indicated in official data.
Technicians and officials who were interviewed in the course
Of this study have estimated woaen's share in the aggregate
Labour supply which is mobilized in agriculture at about 75%,
as compared with only 20% in Jordan and 3.9% in Israels! A
similar proportion as that reported above was calculated from the
Fesponses of farmers who were sampled in this study. Furthermore,
it was indicated by both groups (technicians and farmers) that
about two thirds of female labour input is contributed by members
f farm fanilies on a seasonal basis, This explains the difficulty
Of accounting for female labour in official data.
in Agriculture
Employment in agriculture has declined steadily and substantially
uring the occupation era, Gunting on the basis of several
conjectural estimates, it is believed that shortly before
‘Occupation, agriculture employed some 37-40% of West Bank labour.
Aduittedly, there vas a slow but steady drop in agricultural
labour since the 196] Census which then estimated agricultural
employment in Jordan at 406,7 and it could have been higher for
‘the West Sank alone.
‘The situation of agricultural employment started to change rapidly
as of 1969 when West Bank labourers were permitted to seek
‘ployment inside Israel. The number of agricultural labourers
(excluding those working in Israel's agriculture) reportedly
eclined by 41$ during the period of 1969-79 (see Table 11-20)
1. Statistical Abstract of Israel 1980, op cit, p 316,
2. Lower estimates reported in the IDF Census of 1967 are due to
the exclusion of the large nunber of labourers who enigrated
during the Mar and shortly after. For many reasons, emigration
from rural areas was more pronounced.
92
Put differently, the percentage of workers enployed in agriculture
relative to total employed labourers has dropped from 49 to 29.1
percent.
Table (II ~ 20)
Secular trends in agricultural employment
Total employed Employed in agriculture*
Year (000) Number (000) Percent of all employed
1969 109.9 49.0 44.6
1971 116.8 36.7 31.7
1973 126.4 0.0 23.8
1975 132.3 38 24.0
1977 127.4 30.7 24.1
1979 132.8 Bal 2.9
* This includes only those employed in West Bank agriculture. The
number of workers and their percentage were computed from data
Provided in the original reference.
Sources: Statistical Abstract of Israel 1980, p 696 and 1970, p 633.
Labour mobility out of agriculture is underlied by a nunber of
Gynamic factors which were set in motion by the advent of
©ccupation. This not only curtailed the number of hired workers
in agriculture but it also forced out of it an increasing nusber
°f peasant farmers. According to official data, the number of
farmers leaving agriculture during 1970-74 was more than four
tines larger than the decline in hired labourers.
The crux of the problen lies in the sharply declining profitability
°f most patterns of farming, which in turn is attributed to complex
Variations that have boosted prodiction costs without inducing
—_—____
1. Computed from Table G, in West Bank Agriculture 1973, (Ramallah
Directorate of Research and Extension, publication no 147), p % - تاريخ
- ١٩٨٢
- المنشئ
- Hisham Masoud Awartani
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