Cultivating Panicum for Maximum Sustainability
Ahed is a sheep farmer in Khirbet Atouf, a semi-arid part of Tubas marked by low rainfall and high temperatures. With a flock of 35 sheep as his family’s main source of income, Ahed has faced mounting challenges in recent years. His feed costs rose while his grazing areas shrunk due to recurring droughts and restrictions imposed by military actions and settler activities. These pressures threatened the sustainability of his farm and pushed him to seek innovative solutions to secure his livelihood.
Through the program, Ahed received an irrigation network, seeds, and inputs that enabled him to cultivate one dunum (about ¼ acre) of Panicum maximum, a nutrient rich forage crop. With this assistance, he was able to produce two tons of fodder last year, covering 40% of his flock’s feed needs and generating an estimated value of $800.
The impact was clear. His flock’s health improved significantly, especially among the mothers and young lambs. This resulted in greater productivity and disease resistance. Ahed’s wife also observed improved milk efficiency in her cheese making. She noted that it now only took three kilograms of milk instead of four to make a kilogram of cheese, reducing costs and increasing output.
Building on these results, Ahed reinvested in his farm by purchasing machinery for grinding, mixing, and preparing Panicum-based feed. This helped to maximize the crop’s utilization, improved storage capacity, and strengthened his household’s resilience against environmental and political challenges. His success inspired other farmers in the community, many of whom began cultivating Panicum on larger areas after witnessing its positive impact on livestock health. This was particularly important as settlers tightened control over grazing lands in 2025.
Encouraged by these outcomes, Ahed planned to expand his Panicum cultivation further. However, his efforts were hindered by the decision of the Israeli military to construct a new settlement road, which resulted in the isolation of one quarter of the village’s land and prevented him from achieving his expansion goals. Despite these constraints, Ahed’s experience shows that targeted support and farmer innovation can transform vulnerable livestock enterprises into sustainable livelihoods, offering a replicable model of resilience for other herders in Palestine.
Palestine Tubas is led by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and local partner The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)