Growth of Jewish/Zionist Livestock industry in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 380. Chapter IX: Agriculture: Section 7: Jewish Agricultural Settlements: Table 7:

CHAPTER IX.

In 1938/39 the export of citrus amounted to some 15,000,000 cases of which approximately one-half was from Jewish groves.

178. Of special importance is the development since 1927 of irrigation for the growing of fodder, vegetables and fruit. This has changed the general character of farming from dry cereal cultivation dependent upon rainfall to mixed irrigated farming which enables several crops of vegetables and of fodder to be obtained during the year for the maintenance of rapidly increasing herds of dairy stock and poultry. In 1900 there were only 1,300 cows on Jewish farms. This number increased to 30,000 in 1944 and, apart from the increase in number, there has been considerable improvement in the quality of the herds. In 1900 all the cows on Jewish farms were of the local type producing about 700-800 litres of milk per head per annum. Present yields are in the neighbourhood of 4,000 litres per head.

179. The •raising of poultry as a specialised operation had not begun in 1900. By 1944, as one consequence of the availability of feeding stuffs produced on irrigated land and the development of special technique, there were over 600,000 head of good breeds of poultry in the settlements.

180. The growth of the livestock industry is shown in the following table :-

Table 7.
Year Cows Poultry Sheep Bee-hives
1890 638 - 60 162
1900 1.380 - 2.142 . -
1922 5,808 49,250 8,387 2,528
1927 11,521 75,000 5,924 5,757
1936 16,920 404,350 7,920 18,153
1939 16,245 461,320
1942 26,062 653,960 29,894
1943 29,568 635,150 -
1944 80,836 606,280 30,000 20.000
Production AND MARKETING.

181. The increase in the production of milk and eggs is shown below.

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