Hundreds of Israeli farmers on Thursday staged protests and blocked major junctions across the country in protest of a reform announced by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture last week.
The two ministries decided to conduct the biggest reform in the agricultural section in the last 30 years, aiming to reduce consumer prices of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and other products.
The reform, which was recommended by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, was expected to increase competition by reducing import taxes.
Prices of fruits and vegetables in recent years had jumped by 80 per cent on average in Israel.
The new plan was thus expected to save 2.7 billion shekels (830 million U.S. dollars) per year for Israeli consumers.
In spite of a broad support package including tax benefits, cost reductions, and grants for innovation, the Israeli farmers’ organisations claim that the plan would severely harm the farmers financially.
They added that the suppliers, mainly supermarket chains, were those responsible for the high prices.
Meetings held on Wednesday between the ministries and the farmers did not yield agreements, leading to the protest, in which the farmers used tractors, tools, and agricultural products to block the roads.
Israel’s Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that “throwing eggs, fruits, and vegetables on the roads while blocking them would not benefit consumers and will not lead to an increase in production and consumption.’’
Agriculture Minister Oded Forer said he would immediately open the egg market to tax-free imports, following information he received, according to which farmers plan to sabotage the egg supply ahead of the Jewish holidays to be marked in September. (Xinhua/NAN)
