Finance minister says Negev region officially in drought

25 July 2018, 3:30 pm

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Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon official declares the Negev desert to be experiencing a drought.

Kahlon signs the recommendations of the drought committee on Wednesday, which brought together officials from the Tax Authority and Agriculture Ministry.

The decision frees up relief funds for farmers of crops that are expected to be affected by any water shortages. According to a Finance Ministry statement, these include wheat, barley, oats and chickpeas.

The drought is expected to be relatively light, officials said, with damages not expected to exceed NIS 3-4 million ($820,000-$1,100,000). Drought years in the past have seen damages to southern farmers as high as NIS 30 million ($8.2 million).