Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)
Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)Flash 90

A drought is again hitting the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), causing problems for farmers who rely on the water for agricultural purposes.

An annual report published by the Regional Council of the Jordan Valley has found that Israel’s national lake, the Kinneret, is becoming saltier every year.

The report was commissioned by the “Tzomet Nisionot” agricultural center and the agricultural commission of the Regional Council of the Jordan Valley.

According to the report, authored by Director of the Soil and Water Laboratory “Sherut Hasadeh” Nurit Ben-Hagai, the salinity of the Kinneret has risen by about 30% in the past 5 years.

The Regional Council of the Jordan Valley responded to the findings. “There is no doubt that, for farmers, this is not encouraging news, to say the least. Yesterday, they were informed of a leap of dozens of percentage points in the price of water for agricultural purposes. If the water of the Kinneret becomes unsuitable for irrigation purposes, the price farmers will be required to pay is likely to jump up again.”