The Ministry of Agriculture is developing duty-free import quotas for tomatoes amounting to 1,500 tonnes. Duty-free imports will be for a variety of destinations, at the importer’s discretion, including European countries Italy, Ireland, Belgium, UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Jordan, Turkey, France, Finland and more.
As a rule, the Ministry of Agriculture routinely and regularly monitors the situation in the domestic market, including the prices of fresh produce, and decides on imports accordingly. Local farmers are facing climate change, which is reflected in heavy or cold heat loads. These weather conditions affect the potential of the crop, the quality of the fruit, and the ability of viruses and diseases to attack the plant and the fruit.
In recent days, the local tomato production has been affected by the cold climate that has befallen Israel in recent weeks, and there has been a slowdown in the rate of ripening. It is estimated that the crops will recover in the near future and then we will be able to see the Israeli tomatoes in full encore again. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Israelis consume an average of about 14,000 tons per month.
The Minister of Agriculture, Oded Forer: “The extreme cold that accompanied us until a few days ago caused a shortage of tomatoes and therefore their price is rising. I landed on the opening of duty-free tomato imports to prevent the price increase in the local market and ensure the food security of the country’s citizens. “
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