Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security this week announced it was temporarily expanding duty-free egg import quotas to ensure a steady supply during the Passover holiday, which starts on April 12.
As part of the move, which was made jointly with the Israeli Finance Ministry, the import quota for eggs will be increased to 105 million.
The average egg consumption in the Jewish state is around 200 million monthly, roughly matching the domestic production capacity. During Passover, however, the demand spikes to approximately 240 million.
At the Agriculture Ministry’s initiative, an additional four million eggs have already been imported into the country over the past week, with the remaining eggs expected to arrive in the coming three weeks.
The ministry’s initiative includes importing eggs from avian flu-free areas in Europe, as well as industrially produced ones from the United States.
Despite a global rise in egg costs, the ministry assured consumers this week that prices remain under government control, with no hikes expected ahead of the Jewish holiday of freedom.
Passover, which commemorates the biblical exodus from Egypt and the Jewish people’s deliverance from bondage, starts this year on the night of Saturday, April 12, and lasts seven days in Israel and eight in the Jewish Diaspora.
