Climate change has helped cut production of dates in the blockaded Gaza strip almost in half this year as unseasonal rains played havoc with spring pollination, compounded by a hot summer, the Palestinian agriculture ministry and farmers said.
Adham Al-Basyouni, an official from the agriculture ministry in Gaza said production of dates this year was expected to sink to 10,000 tons from 16,000 tons in the past two years after the unusually cold and wet spring.
