Israel boosts egg import quota amid war in North

Israel’s Agriculture and Raw Food Security Ministry approved a quota for the customs free import of 45 million eggs through the end of October to ensure the continuity of the supply of eggs during the High Holy Days and as the war in the North impacts the supply of Israeli eggs.

The quota was determined based on the ministry’s predictions of what Israel’s egg production will be given the security situation and weather conditions, and taking holiday consumption into account.

Some 70% of the coops in Israel that produce eggs are located in the Galilee and Golan, and they produce around 1.6 billion eggs annually, out of Israel’s average yearly production of 2.2 billion eggs (73%).

A recent quota approved by the ministry for the summer months, of 15 million eggs, was fully used by importers.

The ministry has been creating similar quotas since January 2024, as the war, along with weather conditions and other factors, impact the ability of Israel’s egg producers to supply for Israeli consumption.

Food and agricultural sectors damaged during the war 

Israel’s food security and agricultural sectors have been significantly damaged in the war, resulting in higher produce prices and increased food waste, according to a report from last month on the impact of the first six months of the war by the National Food Bank Leket Israel, the Environmental Protection Ministry, and BDO.

The war led to labor shortages, reduced access to agricultural areas, and exacerbated food waste, which more than doubled from the prewar rate of 9% to 22%, the report said. The workforce in the agricultural sector decreased by 40% following the outbreak of war, it added.