Israeli Arab Farmers Brought into State Quota System

ISRAEL - For the first time in the history of the state, 12 Arab dairy farmers and 24 Arab poultry farmers received state quotas to sell eggs and milk on the regulated market.

20 March 2012

1 minute read

Asia

Both the egg market and the dairy market are state regulated. This means that farmers receive a fixed price for selling their eggs and milk.

However, they are also limited to producing a fixed, government-determined quantity.

In certain communities, quotas are considered a benefit because they ensure a fixed income. Some farmers also sell their quotas to larger producers.

According to Haaretz.com, dairy farmers working under the quota system generally sell their milk to the big dairies, while poultry farmers sell their quota eggs to the supermarket chains and other stores.

To date, no Arab farmers had been included in this system.

While the government had made the decision to include Arabs in the quota system back in 2009, it was implemented only now.

In keeping with the Agriculture Ministry's orders, 12 dairy farmers in Tamra, Ma'aliya, Baka al-Garbiyeh and Arara will each receive permits to sell half a million liters of milk a year.

The 24 poultry farmers each received permits to sell 250,000 eggs per year.

However, these are still symbolic quantities, accounting for 0.02 per cent of the country's annual milk production and 0.03 per cent of all eggs.