Like every year, many people are waiting for the start of the strawberry season to enjoy the sweet and much-loved fruit. However, those who want to purchase strawberries now will find their prices astonishingly high, making the business impossible for many.
For example, in the various greengrocers you can find packaging at a price of about NIS 29.9 per pack of 250 grams – that is, NIS 120 per kilogram. When buying a few packages, the price drops in some places, so it ranges from NIS 90 to NIS 100 per kilogram. In the Noy HaSadeh chain you can find two packages for 44.9 NIS, in the Carmella chain you can find two packages for 49.9 NIS, in Shukit you can find packaging for 29.9 NIS, and more.
Against this background, a post was published last week on Rami Levy's Facebook page, according to which strawberries are not being sold so far due to their high price. The post stated, "The Rami Levy chain announces that it will not sell strawberries in its branches until the price drops. There is no reason for strawberries to cost 120 shekels per kilogram."
It should be noted that since the publication of the post, prices have dropped both for the chains and due to the promotions. However, prices are still high. An industry source estimates that prices could fall as early as the end of the week.
There are fewer workers, photo: Osnat Krasnensky
Due to the high prices, Shufersal also does not currently offer strawberry packaging, except for certain branches of Shufersal Express. It is expected that they will begin offering packages of strawberries in branches starting in mid-December.
Noy Hadas, owner of the Noy HaSade chain and a strawberry farmer who grows 140 dunams of the fruit, notes: "The strawberry industry was severely damaged because of the timing of the disaster in the south. Just at the time when workers in the industry were most needed, the war broke out, and in its wake the workers simply fled the country and the fields were left without working hands."
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