Last Thursday, the Ministry of Agriculture published the list of winners of the competition to distribute duty-free imports of honey to Israeli consumers in packages of up to 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs.). Duty-free honey will be distributed by the supermarket chains Carrefour, Osher-Ad, Victory, Rami Levy, Yohananoff, and Mishnat Yosef. The price offered by the winning companies ranges from NIS 9.9 ($2.64) for half a kilo of honey, up to NIS 19.9 ($5.32) per kilo.
The peak of honey consumption by the citizens of the State of Israel is during Rosh Hashanah, and in the winter months, between November and February. An Israeli citizen consumes an average of 700-650 grams of honey per year, compared to Europe with a consumption of about 1.5 kg of honey per person.
Israeli beekeepers called the move “economically wrong and irresponsible against Israel’s agriculture.”
At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Israeli beekeepers informed the government several months ago that there would be no shortage of honey for the high holidays, since the harvest in Israel is about 4,200 tons of honey, and there has already been a supplemental import of 1,270 tons of honey in July.
“We were surprised to discover that despite the data presented, the ministries of finance and economy decided, in a predatory and unprecedented manner, to promote this issue. The victory of the finance and economy ministers is a victory over Israeli agriculture and farmers who are fighting for the obligation to maintain the state’s lands within the borders and for the right to provide fresh, local agricultural produce to the residents of Israel,” the beekeepers said in a statement.
“This victory goes against every Zionist and economic value,” they added. “This is a victory for the strong over the weak, under pressure from tycoons who own the marketing chains who won the quota of imported honey.”
The beekeepers noted that a lab test had proven last year that imported honey does not meet Israel’s standard of pure honey.
The beekeepers also warn that the overflow of honey imports as agreed among the government ministries would directly damage the livelihood of beekeepers, but in addition, shutting down local beehives will harm pollination services, leading to a significant decrease in the amount of agricultural produce that can be grown in Israel, and shortages in plant food.
