WorldPoultry: Israeli egg producers stop egg delivery

Israeli poultry breeders have stopped delivery of eggs to supermarkets until the government agrees to an increase of 0.04 Shekel (0.008 euro) per egg.

The Poultry Breeders Association stopped delivery on Sunday and say they will not resume supply until the government meets their increase demand. They say they are losing massive amounts of money as a result of an approximately 30% increase in the price of chicken feed in recent months.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Agriculture Minister Orit Noked must approve any change in the price of eggs, which are under government supervision.

Their legal advisers referred the matter to the attorney-general on October 24 and are awaiting instructions, the Treasury said Thursday. If they approve the breeders’ demands, the price of eggs to consumers will rise by around 5%.

Motti Elkabetz, head of the Poultry Breeders Association, said that the breeders had delayed their protest out of consideration for the public, but that the government should have approved the price increase before the September holidays.

“We have no desire to become rich. We just want to live respectably. Three thousand families live off this industry, 2,000 on the confrontation line in the north. This is the only source of income for most of them, and without it their financial situation will become worse and worse,” Elkabetz said

A number of supermarkets and food manufacturers have announced price hikes in recent weeks.