Israel approves duty-free import of 30 million eggs to offset wartime shortages

Tel Aviv [Israel], January 19 (ANI/TPS): Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture approved an increase in the import quota by 30 million eggs with exemption from customs duties. This was done to offset expected shortages caused by the Iron Swords War in Gaza.

The 30 million is in addition to 16 million eggs in the existing quota.

In general, in Israel, an average of 40 million edible eggs are produced every week, which satisfies the local demand. About 70 per cent of Israel’s laying hens are concentrated in the Galilee and the Golan, and they produce about one billion and 600 million eggs a year – about 73 per cent of the total national production.

However many of the farms where eggs are produced were evacuated because of the threat of attacks by Hezbollah terrorists based in Lebanon.

Eggs can be imported to Israel from the following countries, from avian flu-free areas: Poland, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria and the US, eggs for industry. In addition, the veterinary services of the Ministry of Agriculture are working to open up Italy as an additional import source, subject to receiving avian flu-free areas.