Bethlehem / PNN /

Farmers in the town of Battir, west of Bethlehem, head to their fields, where agriculture has been tied for hundreds of years to a traditional irrigation system fed by spring water. The system remains in use today as part of the town’s agricultural heritage and a cornerstone of continued farming.

Agriculture is a major source of income for many Battir farmers, who grow a variety of crops using spring water. Their produce reaches markets, villages and communities across Palestine.

Farmer Ibrahim Aouina said Battir residents have long relied primarily on agriculture, benefiting from the town’s abundant springs, including Battir Spring. He said this reliance continued both before and after 1948.

Aouina said farmers still use the ancient Roman irrigation system, in which spring water flows from higher ground into irrigation pools. Residents have preserved the system for generations, he said, stressing that water is the foundation of life in the area and that without it, the land would become desert.

Battir is known for growing a variety of crops, most notably Battiri eggplant, one of the town’s best-known agricultural products, as well as zucchini, mint and molokhia, Aouina said.

He said these crops are a key part of Battir’s agricultural output and are heavily relied upon by residents for their livelihoods and economic activity.

Battir residents also follow a traditional and carefully organised system for distributing spring water. The water is divided over an eight-day cycle, with each day allocated to water from one of the springs to irrigate agricultural land. The water is distributed from the morning hours until sunset.

Aouina said the inherited system reflects the town’s unique character and its close connection to water sources and agriculture.

Despite the challenges facing farmers and the agricultural sector, Battir’s farmers continue to work their land, preserving the traditional irrigation system maintained by the town for centuries. Between its springs and agricultural terraces, farming remains an integral part of life in Battir, sustaining an agricultural heritage whose produce reaches markets, villages and communities across Palestine.

This story was produced in cooperation with the Agence Française de Développement Médias (CFI), Funded by the European Union.