Who is responsible for the fact that the prices of fruits and vegetables in Israel are the highest in the world?
Mark-up?
The conclusions of the committee headed by the director general of the Ministry of Economy, which will be presented tonight, are unequivocal: it is not the retailers who are to blame for Israel's agricultural produce being the most expensive in the world. Eyal Ravid, Victory: " The goal "
Liat Ron
14/03/2022
Monday, 14 March 2022, 13:08 Updated: 13:33
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The government committee for examining the prices
of vegetables and fruits, headed by the director general of the Ministry of Economy, Ron Malka, also known as the "Mediation Gaps Committee," will present its conclusions to the Minister of Agriculture this evening.
The wholesalers and marketing chains - who buy the produce from the farmers cheaply and sell it expensively - are not true.
Eyal Ravid, owner of the Victory chain,
tells Walla: We will return a little to Eyal Ravid who has a full stomach for the way he and his colleagues were presented by the agricultural lobbyists, but first some truths:
from an analysis of the data presented to the Mediation Gaps Committee, 60% 15% to a wholesaler who mediates between them.
In cases where the produce is sold directly to retailers, 65% of the cost to the consumer is received by the farmer and 35% to the retail chains.
Retailers' net profit from fruit and vegetable sales is only 4.5%, as abroad - and not as farmers have claimed, which supermarket owners oppress and get rich at their expense.
In the past year, fruit and vegetable prices have risen by 2.2% according to the consumer price index In 2010, prices jumped by 30% in the food price index and by about 15% in the general price index.
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Fruits and vegetables: Since 2019, prices in the "food price index" have jumped by 30% (Photo: ShutterStock)
"Farmers can no longer tell stories"
"These findings do not surprise me," says Eyal Ravid, "because I know the data and it was clear to me that we are not discriminating against anyone. "Everything is scanned and signed by an accountant, from 2018 until today.
We gave everything and they unloaded and slaughtered us completely, and found data there that even I had no idea existed. The farmers can no longer tell stories."
The publication of the conclusions is (allegedly) the last obstacle on the way to the implementation of the reform in agriculture, which is being pushed by the Minister of Agriculture, Oded Forer and the Minister of Finance Avigdor Lieberman.
The reform is supposed to open up the market for imports of fruits and vegetables, abolish quotas and give farmers direct support, which will lead to a drop in prices.
Eyal Ravid, owner and CEO of the Victory chain: "These findings do not surprise me" (Photo: Omer Wieder)
Farmers accuse: "Hiding data"
The farmers, who strongly oppose it, claiming that it will destroy local agriculture and harm the farmers' livelihoods, do not intend to give up.
"These figures are an urban legend," said
former MK Avshalom Villan, secretary general of the Israel Farmers' Association in
an interview with 104.5FM North Radio.
"Until two years ago the marketing chains would publish the numbers and reveal their balance sheets and on fruits and vegetables they would earn 15%, while on the rest of the products 2.5%. They hide it within the economic data and it looks like they lowered the profit.
Let's tell the truth? "We elected this committee? We demanded a representative from one of the farmers and they refused. I understand this game is addicted in advance. They marked the goal to support the import reform. If Lieberman implements what he wants, the conclusion is one: there will be no agriculture in the State of Israel."
"Abu Villan can tell stories," Ravid says.
"He lives in movies. A lot can be said about the competition authority, but in the economic world they understand well
. I believe we will continue to snatch from the farmers because the agricultural lobby is big. They are not going to give up."
Avshalom Villan, Secretary General of the Israel Agricultural Association: "I am ready to put my credibility against the credibility of the Minister of Agriculture and we will see where the machine will beep" (Photo: Maor Koren)
We will not overthrow the government, but we will overthrow the legislation in the Knesset
Indeed, according to Willen this is really not their last word.
Although he says that they will not overthrow the government, he is preparing for Minister Forer another round of wrestling in the Knesset.
"Members of the Knesset from the agricultural lobby
are going to demand a special discussion in the plenum on the issue, even after the recess and if there is a majority, these moves will stop.
".
The reform does not require legislation, regulations are sufficient.
"It passed as a government decision. One MK is allowed to oppose the regulations and ask them to move to the Knesset debate. Formally the MK can demand a vote on the regulations and if there is no majority they will fall. It is a complex process, especially that we are on leave
, That he did not implement these regulations unilaterally, is because he is afraid of this move. They did not negotiate with us seriously.
The argument is that you did not come to the discussions and tried to dissolve them.
"I am ready to put my credibility against the credibility of the Minister of Agriculture and we will see where the machine will beep. What is it that they negotiated with us?
Many always sit, shouting, laughing, until white smoke comes out of the mouth.
They came up with their own model and that's it.
They brought in a mediator, who did a good job, but even at her suggestion the farmers lose a billion and a half.
Is that what the change government wants? "
Of money
consumption
Tags
fruits
vegetables
Cost of living
reform
Avigdor Lieberman
Avshalom Villan
victory