The Minister of Agriculture discusses with the Dutch Representative Office prospects for cooperation and support for agricultural projects.

Ramallah: August 11, 2026

Minister of Agriculture, Professor Rizq Slaimiya, met with Vera Klok, Economic Attaché at the Dutch Representative Office, to discuss prospects for joint cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Netherlands. They explored ways to strengthen the partnership to serve and support the Palestinian agricultural sector and farmers. The meeting also included a review of several joint agricultural and development projects and discussions on developing interventions that address the priorities and actual needs of the agricultural sector.

The two sides discussed existing and future areas of cooperation, as well as ways to develop agricultural projects to improve the use of water resources, land, and agricultural roads, increase productivity, and enhance opportunities for sustainable rural development. They also discussed developing agricultural value chains and strengthening farmers' ability to face economic and climate challenges.

The meeting reviewed the Water, Land, and Agricultural Roads Investment Program (WLRI) – Phase IV: Scaling Up Sustainable Rural Livelihoods through the Integration of the Water, Energy, and Food Nexus (WEF Nexus) and Climate-Smart Value Chains. The review covered the project's implementation phases and targeted interventions, which include increasing water supplies and improving farmers' access to water for agricultural production, rehabilitating 43 kilometers of agricultural roads, and restoring 350 dunams of degraded agricultural land to production and agricultural investment.

The project is funded by the Representative Office of the Netherlands through the Cooperation Foundation and implemented under the supervision and monitoring of the Ministry of Agriculture, with the participation of several Palestinian partner institutions: the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), the Land Research Center (LRC), and the Palestinian Hydrologists Group (PHG).

Minister Slaimiya emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with the Dutch side and leveraging available expertise and resources to develop the agricultural sector. He stressed the need to align projects with agricultural priorities and farmers' needs, ensuring sustainable production and enhancing their access to and investment in agricultural resources.

For her part, the Economic Attaché at the Dutch Representative Office, Vera Klok, stressed the importance of continuing cooperation and partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, and supporting projects that contribute to improving the living conditions of farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural development, especially in the areas of water, land, agricultural infrastructure and value chains. The meeting was attended by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Engineer Bader Al-Hawamdeh, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Natural Resources Sector, Engineer Hossam Talib, and the Director General of Planning and Policies, Engineer Maram Sawalha, along with a number of representatives of relevant authorities.