Pini Elmakayes managed to harvest this fruit in Mitzpe Ramon, a city located 900 meters above sea level, in the middle of the Negev Desert.
Mitzpe Ramon is a small town in southern Israel, nestled in the middle of a desert with a harsh climate. In it, Pini Elmakayes, a local resident, decided to commemorate the death of his nephew with the unthinkable feat of planting and harvesting cherry trees.
Elmakayes, with the help of agronomists from the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council's Agricultural Research and Development Center, managed to harvest the first fruits on May 3, just before Israel's Independence Day.
This achievement prompted the seasoned farmer to post a thank you on Facebook: “For the glory of the State of Israel, believe me, it will happen! Cherries in the Negev! Special thanks to Ramat HaNegev for the warm assistance. Especially to you, Yankele Moskowitz (director of research and development), for making other people’s dreams come true. It is true that it is not commercial yet, but you are welcome to see the beauty of creation,” the post read. Elmakayes lost his 13-year-old nephew in a car accident in 2016, which led him to take up this challenge.
Moskowitz told the Yedihot Haharonot daily that the rare achievement gives Negev residents an incentive to turn to agriculture and tourism, “so that travelers to the south can enjoy the beauty of the desert along with the cherry blossoms.” Normally, these trees thrive only in the higher, cooler areas of the country’s north.
Today, the economy of Mitzpe Ramon is based on industry, thanks to the Ramon Air Base, and tourism.
