Following a series of meetings and coordination between the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel, Alon Schuster, and the Director General of the Ministry, Nahum Itzkovich, and his colleagues from the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources of the Kingdom of Bahrain, following the signing of the agreement between Bahrain and Israel last September, Israel received official approval from Bahrain. Export fresh produce and planting material (including seeds) from Israel to Bahrain. The Ministry of Agriculture expects farmers to start exporting to the additional attractive destination in the Persian Gulf later this month.

In recent weeks, a team from the Ministry of Agriculture's Plant Protection and Audit Services has been working to study the appropriate Bahrain legislation to ensure that the best Israeli products reach the market shelves in Bahrain when they meet all the requirements. import of the country, including phytosanitary requirements. To eat Also, at the end of the in-depth study, the conditions in the export system of the phytosanitary services were assimilated and professional instructions for testing the product were transmitted to all the ministry inspectors in the field.

The export is the continuation of a large Israeli-American delegation, attended by Nahum Itzkovich, director general of Israel's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, to sign an interim agreement establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and implement the declaration of peace signed by Washington. During the meetings, agreements were signed to start creating collaborations and developing new ideas for the two countries, paving the way for a cooperation agreement on the export of agricultural products from Israel to Bahrain.

This export is in addition to the agreements signed with the United Arab Emirates last November for the export of agricultural products from Israel. Fresh agricultural products to come out of Israel will include fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers and seeds. The opportunities to export to a new destination geographically close to Israel opens up new possibilities for Israeli exports. Exports to Bahrain, as well as the Emirates, will allow farmers to develop and fight for new markets, which the Ministry of Agriculture hopes will bring a reasonable level of profitability to farmers and increase and strengthen local agriculture. "For Israeli farmers to make a living not only from the local market but also from the thriving markets of the Gulf states, this makes a significant contribution to the Israeli economy and our foreign relations, further proof that Israeli agriculture is a real national asset, "said Alon Schuster.

Bahrain is a small island nation located in the Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Despite being a small country with a population of around 1.7 million, it is considered one of the largest economic centers in the Middle East, mainly due to the huge oil reserves in its territory and a free and diverse government with the government stimulus, which led to the country's banking, tourism and industrial development since 2000.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has the fastest growing economy among the Arab world. This is due to the current development in the field of oil trade in the region, whose large dimensions are not yet appreciable. Bahrain's oil industry accounts for about 30% of GDP, but due to uncertainty and the depletion of the country's oil reserves, the government encourages a free and diverse economy. Bahrain has started to encourage foreign companies to base and invest in the Persian Gulf.

The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nahum Itzkovich: "One of our main objectives is to help open new markets and remove barriers to allow agricultural exports from Israel to markets around the world, meeting the requirements of the target countries and exporting quality plant products. Agriculture was one of the first offices to open official contacts with the Gulf states, and the potential here is great in view of the geographic proximity and in terms of cheap logistics options, so we think that agricultural exports to the Kingdom of Bahrain are attractive for marketing agricultural products as a market based in imports and imports. "I want to highlight the rapid mobilization of the ministry's employees and the professional treatment that has made this agreement possible, led by Professor Abed Gera, director of phytosanitary services of the ministry and his staff. We look forward to establishing relationships with new and additional export destinations".