Israel – Are Diaspora Jews buying less matzot? Israel’s matzah exports totaled some $13 million in 2010 – an 18.5% drop compared to 2009, according to figures released by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI).
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The IEICI data also reveal that matzah exports from December 2010 to January 2011 – the main export months ahead of Passover – totaled $6.7 million, a 20% drop compared to the same period last year.
The two main reasons for the decline in matzah exports are the global increase in prices of raw materials for food and the US dollar’s low exchange rate.
“The decline stems mainly from a 31% drop in matzah exports to the United States, which makes up 56% of the matzah exports to the world,” says IEICI CEO Avi Hefetz. “The increase in flour prices and the dollar’s depreciation have affected the volumes of matzah exports to the US and to the entire world.”
According to IEICI figures, matzah exports to the US totaled some $7 million last year. Matzah exports to the European Union, on the other hand, grew by about 11% in 2010, totaling $3.7 million.
Meanwhile, a decline is also seen in the import of wine and alcoholic beverages to Israel.
According to figures released by the Chamber of Commerce, the sales of alcoholic beverages is expected to total some NIS 285 million ($82 million) ahead of Passover, a 5% drop compared to last year’s sales. The sales of alcoholic beverages on the Jewish New Year and Passover make up some 35% of the annual sales.
The drop in the financial volume of alcohol sales took place although the consumption of wine – the number of bottles sold – actually went up by 5% compared to last Passover. The rise in wine consumption is not expressed in sales and profits due to a decline in the prices of imported bottles due to the dollar’s depreciation against the shekel, and because Israelis are buying more Israeli kosher wine because of the higher taxation on alcohol.
simple math, the American bakeries lowered their prices due to increase competition from the cheaper Israeli market.
My family loves Israeli wine. I find it is usually quite flavorful and smooth going down. Delicious in a different way than California wines. For Pesach I bought different types of Israeli wines, like Carmel Ridge, and others. The shmurah matzah I bought was not from Israel, but hand baked in Brooklyn. The Yehuda matzahs in the box are crispy and yummy, so we have those as back up. L’Chaim, everyone, and have a healthy, wonderful, kasheren Pesach!!
I have noticed many supermarket chains (that used to have tons of matzhos and gave them out free with $25 purchase) ran out of matzho this year. Either they got hit with extra demand or, more likely, they bought less this year.
It’s all about communism vs socialism with the social elite neither nor conforming to the matzah as is known
I buy Israeli Matzos because of the price. The American Matzos may be better but as I see it, Matzos is what Passover is all about and so I try to save a nickel or two.
G-d only knows, food prices in general have been going up non stop over the past 2.5 years.
It would be prudent if we all spend our funds wisely.
Overpaying for a holiday product will net get me into heaven quicker.
There is just a lot more matzohs being baked in the USA.Here in Brooklynstan people are baking in their yards,chabad houses are baking in their shules, every chasidic group has their factories, etc. Unfortuneately the disconnect between american jewry and israel keeps growing into all areas where we used to support Israel.
If I was living in the United States I would by locally made matzot. Why pay extra for transportation and the middleman’s hefty mark-up?