An anticipated egg shortage at supermarkets was averted at the last minute
Tuesday, after a joint Treasury and Agriculture Ministry committee agreed to a
price hike of 5.5 percent per egg.
The committee based its decision upon
instructions sent the previous night by Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein, who
was asked to rule on the matter by Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and
Agriculture Minister Orit Noked two weeks ago.
The Poultry Breeders
Association stopped delivering eggs to supermarkets on Sunday, promising not to
resume supply until the government met their demand for an extra four agorot per
egg delivered. They claimed the pay rise was needed to compensate for a sharp
increase in the price of chicken feed.
Consumers will now pay between NIS
11.76 to NIS 14.06 for a carton of one-dozen eggs under government supervision.
Prior to the update, consumers paid the following for a carton: NIS 11.10 for
medium sized eggs weighing 53-63 grams; NIS 12.25 for large eggs weighing 63-73
grams; NIS 13.40 for extra large eggs weighing 73 grams or
more.
Free-range and organic eggs are unsupervised, and generally cost
anywhere between NIS 20-30 for a carton at supermarkets.