Israeli Grain Importers Warn of Looming Crisis in Port Unloading

Itai Ron, Chairman of the Association of Grain Importers to Israel, addressed the situation of unloading grains and cereals at Israeli ports yesterday, stating: 'We importers have nowhere to unload grain and cereal ships in the coming weeks. The government must urgently intervene to resolve the crisis. I call on the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Agriculture to intervene in the crisis and allow regular unloading of ships to ensure a steady supply of food to the country.'

According to the Association of Grain Importers, there are several factors affecting the unloading of grains and cereals at Israeli ports: there is an ongoing labor dispute and delays in unloading ships at Haifa port, a strike due to an ongoing labor dispute between management and workers at the Dagon compound in Haifa, operated under the license of Millennium Company, and Pier 21 in Ashdod, where cereal products are unloaded, is supposed to be closed for two weeks for renovations.

The Association of Grain Importers stated that Israel imports more than 5.5 million tons of grain and cereal products from around the world each year, with local Israeli agriculture considered negligible, managing to supply at most 10% of food consumption for humans and livestock in non-drought years. Over 80% of the unloading has been carried out in the last two years at the northern ports (at the Dagon compound in Haifa, at the general Haifa port piers, and at the Israel Shipyards port), with only about a fifth of the unloading taking place in Ashdod.