44 Degrees in the Shade, Showers Every Two Hours: The Arava Dairy Farmers' Race Against the Heat

Extreme heat waves in the Arava are forcing dairy farmers to fight for cow welfare and milk production. At a family dairy in Moshav Paran, Dan Marx uses technology, cooling showers, and desalinated water to cope with temperatures above 40 degrees. The dairy produces over 2 million liters of milk a year, and the cows are sensitive to heat. Water scarcity poses a challenge, but the shift to desalinated water improved yields. Israel leads globally in water-saving technologies and heat management.

The extreme heat waves, which are becoming more frequent and intense, pose a growing challenge to the Israeli dairy industry. At the family dairy of Dan Marx (39) in Moshav Paran, a stone's throw from the Jordanian border, they contend every summer with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, using advanced technology, desalinated water, and cooling showers for the cows. The dairy produces more than two million liters of raw milk annually from about 200 milking cows, and the cows, whose genetic origin is European, are particularly sensitive to heat. To cope, the cows enter cooling showers and ventilation every two and a half hours, and during extreme heat waves even more frequently. The work requires 24/7 presence, including nightly outings by Marx himself. A central challenge is water scarcity, as the region is not connected to the national water system and relies on local wells. An emergency reservoir of 200 cubic meters was established, and the transition to desalinated water led to an increase in milk yield. Marx emphasizes the security aspect: the dairy and orchard are located less than a kilometer from the border, without a fence, and the settlement contributes to guarding the borders. Israel has become a world leader in heat management and water-saving technologies, and dairy farmers from around the world learn from Israel.