PM aghast Tnuva cottage cheaper in Romania than Israel

Netanyahu says he'll convene econ. ministers to discuss ways to bring down the price of dairy products, importing could be first step.

By HERB KEINON
cottage cheese 311 R (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
cottage cheese 311 R
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Tnuva cottage cheese in Bucharest costs some two shekels less than it does in Israel, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu discovered on his trip Wednesday to Romania – saying he was weighing opening the Israeli dairy market to imports to lower prices.
Netanyahu, at a press conference with Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc, said he would convene a meeting of his economic ministers next week to discuss ways to bring down the price of dairy products, and that importing them could be a first step.
RELATED:Tnuva reduces price of cottage cheese Report: Country’s big 3 dairy producers are a cartel
“Israeli citizens understand that food in Israel – first and foremost, dairy products – is very, very expensive,” he said, asking why Tnuva cottage cheese produced in Romania sells for NIS 4 – roughly two shekels cheaper than what it costs in Israel.
Netanyahu said he discussed with his Romanian counterpart the possibility of importing Romanian dairy products to break the monopoly in Israel.
“Romania is only a two-hour flight from Israel,” he said, “and it is possible to import from it, and other nearby countries, products in order to create competition. Imports will create competition, and competition spurs a lowering of prices.”