British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 356

CHAPTER IX.

110. The following table shows the number of growers and the areas in respect of which advances were made and the rate of the advance in each year :-

Number o( Total area. Rate of
Year advance per
growers in dunums dunum.
.£P.Mils
1940-41 5,668 168,437 2.600
1941-42 5,895 174,790 3.000
1942-43 6,070 177,284 4.000
1943-44 5,557 154,890 6.000
1944 -45 5,370 152,050 5.000
1945-46 (Estimate) 5,000 (Estimate) 150,000 5.000
Total per dunum 24.600 About 4 7 % of the total advances were made to Arab growers and 53% to Jewish growers.

111. In almost all cases the recoveries of £P.328,765 have been made (and recoveries continue to be made) upon change of ownership of groves, e.g. by sale or transfer; in such cases the whole of the advance is recovered by Government before registration of the grove in the name of the new owner is authorised. The security was a first charge on the crop and the existing rate of interest is 3% per annum.

ll2. These advances, though they represented not much more than half the cost of cultivation, saved the greater part of the citrus plantations from ruin, the present position being that 251,000 dunums have survived of which 194,000 dunums are in fairly good condition, 30,000 in fair condition, and 27,000 in poor condition. Some 27 ,000 dunums were destroyed by uprooting and 15 ,000 dunums abandoned or neglected. A good part of the uprooted area was devoted to vegetable cultivation.

113. In the current season, 1945-46, the citrus crop is estimated at about 8 million boxes and contracts have been made for the export of 2!-3 million boxes of fruit to the United Kingdom, l! million boxes to the Continent and 500,000 boxes to neighbouring territories. The balance of 3 million boxes is for local consumption and sale to the army and local factories for the manufacture of concentrates, juices, jams and marmalades.

114. These Government. repay all the

advances were not grants but loans repayable to The industry as a whole, however, is not able to outstanding advances immediately, particularly in

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