48 Friday, March 18, 1983 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Computer Farming Boosts Israel Cotton Crop Production By BILL CLARK 1,282 pounds per acre an- nually, as compared with TEL AVIV -- Visit any the United States, which Israeli cotton farm these produces an average of 543 .days and you're likely to pounds per acre, and India, bump into an Asian, Afri- which averages only 153. can or South American This high yield can be at- farmer busily making notes tributed to many factors, on why Israeli cotton prod- says Zvi Neumark, general uction easily outstrips all manager of Israel's Cotton competitors. Production and Marketing Israel's current output is Board. But coordination is the key. Neumark explains that nearly all of Israel's cot- ton growing is done by computer. The entire country north of Beersheba is divided into nine cotton districts, each with its own com- puter center. The computers store the districts' cotton growing re- cords over the past five years. As each growing sea- ALL son progresses, the com- DINNERS puters analyze and compare information. ■ ■ KOREAN & MANDARIN DINING Periodic printouts pro- With This Coupon 0 0 vide the farmer with data advising what adjustments O 0 must be made to deliver an optimum crop. For example, if a summer has been 21711 W. 8 MILE • Detroit slightly dryer than usual, I S.E. CORNER LAHSER RD. the computer can tell the farmer precisely how much Expires 4/3/83 537-6111 JN le■ IM 111111101•111 =011rnINI1010111101011101110011105101 .1 more water should be added Israel Govt. Press Service 20 0 OFF , 0 WOO CHON Ruth LAREDO PIANO "Detroit's First Lady of the Piano" Tuesday, March 22, 8:00 P.M. Orchestra Hall Box Office Open 11-6 Mon. thru Sat. • 833-3700 37 1 1 WOODWARD • ALL SEATS RESERVED It's Heaven! Our Prime Rib dinner is only $ 9k.. through the irrigation drip- ceived it, he'd endorse it Israeli cotton has been per systems to compensate. over to the United Jewish bringing the country a big- The computers also offer Appeal." ger income year after year. constantly-revised informa- Hamburg introduced the This is because the continu- tion on fertilization, insect San Joaquin Valley seed ing increase in yield per pests and other variables which he grew back home in acre has offset price drops. which influence the total California. The variety, In any event, says yield harvested at the end of which is a strong middle Neumark, "There is no the season. staple cotton, took quite problem at all to market all Another aid to achiev- well to the irrigated margi- the cotton we can grow. And ing high yields is putting nal lands of the Middle East the world's demand for cot- a small army of "scouts" and became the backbone of ton is continually growing. into the fields. These per- Israel's cotton farming. To- There were a few problems sonnel inspect the cotton day, Sam Hamburg's good- when synthetics first plants methodically and will has blossomed into an started to compete, but now capture any insects they exceptional cash crop for Is- cotton has returned to fash- find; the insects are then rael. ion. It's washable, porous, identified and quantified. While the world cotton and competitive in price. The data is fed into the market has suffered a minor And now there's the no-iron computer, which compares glut during the past two process for cotton. We're in it with information from years, setting back prices the market, and we plan to surrounding regions and slightly, Neumark notes, stay there." with records from previous * ** years. The printout specifies the damage poten- tial of a particular insect and the best way to deal with the pest. This highly-organized system of cotton farming means that Israel will culti- vate about $135 million in exports of cotton this year, making it the country's number two cash export crop after citrus. The export market con- sumes about 80 percent of the country's total annual crop of 85,000 tons of cotton fiber. Also being harvested is about 130,000 tons of cot- ton seed, which is pumped directly into Israel's domes- tic economy. Kibutz workers stand at the controls of a cotton As for letting foreign gin in Israel. farmers in on Israel's technology, Neumark F comments, "The Israeli Restaurant farmer gains nothing from teaching farmers e (Senior Citizens 10% Discount) from abroad how to 25900 CittENFIELD AT LINCOLN 968 1150 grow cotton. Nothing but goodwill. But that's what started our own cotton industry, and the ad- FROM SPECIAL MENU: INCLUDES ENTREE, ministration of goodwill SALAD BAR, POT. OR RICE OR VEG. & is not what you call a COFFEE OR TEA OR SOFT DRINK `closed shop.' " 1 DAYS—MON.-FRI. 4 p.m.-1 a.m., Sat. & Sun. 2 p.m.-1 a.m. According to Neumark, No Discounts or Coupons the Israel cotton industry was launched in 1952, when SUNDAY BRUNCH SOUP & SALAD BAR Sam Hamburg of Fresno, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Calif. accepted employment from the Israeli government ALL-YOU- $ at a salary of $1 a year. ALL-YOU- $ CAN-EAT "And he insisted on being CAN-EAT 29 Items paid that dollar," says 18 Items With Dinner Only $1.69 Neumark. "But after he re- _ arah p - DINNERS 2 FOR 1 3 89 299 Since 1939 7618 Woodward Ave. and we do the dishes. Come feast with us! Savor a succulent Prime Rib dinner. It comes with delicious baked onion soup, fresh Caesar salad, baked potato, and, of course, Yorkshire pudding. 58.95 per feast! 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