Rising global temperatures are endangering the etrog’s (citron) growing environment, and as long as temperatures in Israel continue to rise, growing them in Israel might become impossible.
Etrog cultivation in Israel covers approximately 250 hectares and is entirely dedicated to market for the Four Species used in Jewish ceremonies celebrating Sukkot. Israel began importing etrogim in 2008, when thousands of citrons were imported from Italy.
With the increasing demand for certain species of etrogim, Israel's Agriculture Ministry allowed the import of etrogim from Morocco in 2013, a trend that continued in 2022. Still, local farmers are concerned about the increasing import of etrogim from the North African country due to the Finance Ministry's reform to reduce customs duties on imported fruits and vegetables. However, the escalating heatwaves in recent years may pose a future threat to the industry throughout the world.
Source: ynetnews.com