Alaa al-Masry checks oyster mushrooms at her house in Gaza City, on March 8, 2020. After a month of cultivation, a Palestinian woman harvested around 150 kg of organic oyster mushroom in a small farm she build in her own house. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
by Sanna Kamal
GAZA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- After a month of cultivation, a Palestinian woman harvested around 150 kg of organic oyster mushroom in a small farm she build in her own house.
Alaa al-Masry, 26, said she was happy that she eventually succeeded to harvest her first batch of agriculture product.
She sold all the oyster mushroom to the local markets, earning money for the first time since she graduated from the university.
"It is a great feeling to earn money after a month of farming," the young lady told Xinhua, while carrying a small box of the oyster mushroom.
Al-Masry attended organic farming training courses organized by the Gaza Ministry of Agriculture.
After the end of the training course, al-Masry started her project and established the first oyster mushroom farm in the besieged enclave.
The farm, covering about 150 square meters, contains dozens of medium bags filled with straw and gypsum and hanged in the room ceiling. The bags are used in the cultivation of oyster mushroom.
Al-Masry spends most of the day time taking care of her farm, as she checks the pendulous bags and sprays them with water, as well as monitoring temperature and humidity in the room.
"The oyster mushroom is considered as a source of protein," she said, adding that it could be an alternative of meats.
She came up with the idea of establishing her own farm after she failed to find a job in her study field in light of the severe economic conditions that the Gazans are suffering from.
She once worked as a filmmaker. However, she quitted the job due to the lack of work opportunities as a result of the deteriorating economic situation, al-Masry said.
Israel has imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip, since the Islamic Hamas movement seized it in 2007.
The United Nations repeatedly warned of a humanitarian deterioration in Gaza. In 2019, it issued a report warning that the Gaza Strip will not be suitable for living if Israel continues imposing the blockade on the enclave.
"We cannot accept to be hostages to the political situation," al-Masry said, adding that "it is important to walk a step towards our future even if it seems difficult for us."
Al-Masry can cultivate about 150 kg of oyster mushrooms per month. Each kilogram of oyster mushroom is priced at 10 U.S. dollars.
However, al-Masry faces many challenges, especially in the marketing process. "Sometimes, there are people who prefer the imported products rather than the domestic product," she explained.
Yet, she insisted on continuing her project, hoping to expand her cultivation by growing other types of mushrooms, such as Chinese and button mushrooms.
