The Zionist Agricultural Experimental Station has discovered that there is a possibility of cultivating the Smryna fig in Palestine in large quantities, likely to give substantial commercial results.
The Joint Palestine Survey Commission considered the question of fig-growing in Palestine, and in its report said:
“Present Palestinian varieties apparently cannot compete with American and Smyrna varieties in the world markets. Profitable fig-growing by Jewish farmers will depend upon the development or introduction of varieties that can be grown under Palestinian conditions and yield a dried or canned product that is equal to or better than standard export varieties of other countries. In the absence of adequate irrigation resources, the future possibilities of such an industry are doubtful.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.