Starting with strawberries, Gazans open fresh export season

[oberliner]

Surrounded by the fragrance of millions of packed strawberries, Gaza farm workers rose at dawn on Sunday to witness the start of exports to Europe that they hope will herald a wider expansion of trade.

"Strawberries. Fraises. Erdbeeren." said the labels in English, French and German on stacks of boxes of tenderly packed berries in punnets of 250 grams (8.8 oz). The Gaza farmers hope to send 1,000 tons to Europe through a partly eased Israeli blockade in the coming week.

"On Sunday, we are exporting two truckloads of strawberries as a trial and then the number will rise to 10 trucks a day until they are all shipped out," said Raed Fattouh, Palestinian coordinator of supply from Israel to Gaza.

Ahmed Al-Shafai, one of the biggest farm entrepreneurs in the small enclave framed by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean, said the Palestinian produce would first arrive in the Netherlands and then go on to Belgium and France.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/starting-with-strawberries-gazans-open-fresh-export-season-1.327375

[aquart]

1. Excellent.

[WhiteTara]

2. I can almost smell them from here

lucky Europeans who get to have strawberries now.