Rural farming families in the West Bank have been struggling to make ends meet over the past few years in the face of natural and man-made difficulties such as drought, mounting fodder prices, water shortages, tensions, land confiscation and access difficulties related to the separation barrier. ACTED is expanding and diversifying its long-term efforts to support rural livelihoods by distributing beehives, providing animal health training and assisting farmers in making their own fodder, with the financial support of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department.

“I relied on my sheep for income, but how can I continue when I have made no profit from them in two years? I had to try something else.” Mahmoud, a 48-year old married father of eight from the rural Salfit region in the central West Bank, surveys his animal pens under a harsh sun as he recounts a common dilemma. This area has seen little rain over the past two years, causing the price of fodder to rise as high as 100 NIS (20 Euros) per bag. Given these costs, it is no surprise that small-scale breeders like Mahmoud are battling. ACTED supports these small herders through different approaches, some focusing on herding activities others on subsidiary livelihoods.

Beyond the pens, on a patch of grass surrounded by a few shrubs, there is a low humming sound where ‘something else’ is at work. On the ground are two white boxes – beehives recently distributed by ACTED. Mahmoud reminisces fondly about his family’s beekeeping on this farm when he was a child, and looks forward to harvesting honey once again. “These new hives will produce a lot more than the old ones, as there is no need for the bees to make wax. I can also check inside the hives, which makes it easier to control diseases. Each hive is expected to produce 15 kilograms of honey, some of which will be consumed by the family, while the rest is sold. For Mahmoud, who is supporting three sons at university this year, this additional income will be timely and much-needed.

In the nearby village of Burin, the mayor sits behind a desk in the far corner of his office, occasionally looking on at the classroom scene taking up the rest of the room. ACTED veterinarian sketches busily on a piece of paper taped to the wall, explaining to a group of herders how to identify mastitis. Such common livestock diseases are a major factor in low milk production in this area. Many cases can be prevented or treated through simple methods, in which ACTED is training 320 herders in 20 West Bank villages. Hosni, ACTED’s programme manager in Salfit, is optimistic. “Farmers say that the trainings are very relevant, because they get practical advice about current local veterinary problems. According to people at the municipality, this is the first training programme where participants have asked for paper to take notes!”

In the Qalqiliya region, teeming greenhouses belie the difficulties of the rural population. Here, adjacent to the separation barrier, farmers have lost large amounts of land, and often have their access to remaining fields restricted. Atta, a 52-year old married father of nine from the village of Ras Atiya, lost four of his original 30 hectares of land to the occupation. He too faces the burden of extremely high fodder prices, but remains undeterred. In a cluttered, homely shed, where ACTED posters on livestock diseases hang decorated with pink blossoms, he explains: “I needed to decrease my fodder costs, and heard from neighbours that the ACTED silage-making activity helped them do this last year. I thought “why not me ?”. In the barn, a group of men has already gathered to watch ACTED’s silage-making demonstration. As the cutting-machine buzzes raucously, Atta’s five sheep graze in a nearby field, unaware that this means they will have food for the summer.