Israel partners with Africa to create win-win solution

A commitment by Israel to share
its expertise, its knowledge and its
technologies with friendly countries
could result in significant benefits for
South African companies.
Israeli ambassador, Arthur Lenk,
told delegates at last week’s Agri African
Investment Indaba in Cape Town that
the country had several
agreements in place
with countries across
Africa as well as in the
Far East and India to
establish agricultural
centres where
knowledge and research
and development was
shared.
“Israel is a tiny
country that is mostly
desert and far from its
key markets yet it has
achieved leader status
in agriculture, water
management and food
security,” he said.
One such synergy was between Israel
and Ethiopia where the two countries
worked together to sell flowers to
Europe during the European off season,
he added.
“It is about creating the capability
to grow and deliver flowers to a
market. There is opportunity to
deliver tulips to the Dutch in their
off-season and we have worked
closely with Ethiopia to do just that,”
he said. “In the same way we have
partnered with Namibia to grow
and distribute dates.
The key market for
dates is Ramadan but
because it is moving
earlier in the year and
for the next decade
will be in the first
half of the year, dates
are now needed in
the off season. We
have partnered with
Namibia to deliver
dates in that offseason.”
Lenk said Israel
had in recent
years continued
its long tradition
of promoting agricultural and
development cooperation throughout
Africa and believed there was much
opportunity for partnering in South
Africa.
INSERT & CAPTION
There is opportunity
to deliver tulips to
the Dutch in their offseason
and we have
worked closely with
Ethiopia to do just
that.
– Ambassador Arthur Lenk