Revealed: How many slaughterers are there? How much does a slaughterer earn? How much meat is consumed?

May 31, 2022   

The Committee on Special National Infrastructure Projects and Jewish Religious Services, headed by MK Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beiteinu, discussed today (Tuesday) the meat industry in Israel. The committee examined the costs of kosher meat and their impact on the cost of living in Israel. According to the data presented during the committee discussion, the State of Israel consumes 180,000 tons of beef per year. 601,000 tons of meat consumption in Israel comes from imports of fresh or frozen meat, 251,000 tons from live shipments, and only 151,000 tons of meat consumption comes from local farming. The cost of beef and poultry in Israel is 401,000 tons more expensive than the average in OECD countries. MK Yulia Malinovsky said in the discussion: "I must say that many people in the field warned me that I was going to open Pandora's box, that it was a cartel. I am not interested in that. What interests me is saving the State of Israel the costs of kosher and providing quality kosher. "The meat market in Israel is kosher, But it stinks. I'm opening a Pandora's box of 30 years, but it's time to do it. I had many conversations with meat importers, who voiced to me a great many complaints about the conduct of the bodies involved in the field. Meat is a basic consumer product and I want to lower the price basket of meat in Israel. "Yes, some of the importers wanted to come to the discussion, but along the way they received threats that if they came and opened things up, their business would be closed. Their kashrut certificate would be revoked. It's outrageous, defiant, worrying, and people really received threats. "There are 31 meat importers in Israel and only 600 slaughterers. This is a centralized market, there is a small, wealthy group that controls the meat market and ensures that kashrut costs remain high. "Everything I'm going to reveal, I'm backed up by testimonies. Out of respect for the privacy of those people, I won't reveal them, but let you know that I'm 100 percent sure of everything I say today." Deputy Minister MK Abir Kara: "This is one of the most important discussions in the State of Israel. The barriers to the imported meat market are very numerous. In Israel, 100% of the meat imported into Israel is inspected. The main factors that burden the meat market in terms of regulation are the Ministry of Agriculture, the Veterinary Inspection Corporation, the Ministry of Health and the Chief Rabbinate. As soon as the reform passes, there will be a dramatic decrease in the number of live shipments." The Ministry of Finance claims that kashrut increases the price of meat by 5 shekels per kilogram. Chaim Borovsky, from the Budget Division of the Ministry of Finance: "In our estimation, kashrut on meat increases the market price by 550 million shekels per year. There is an incentive in the meat market to import live calves, in order to perform the slaughter here in Israel and save on the costs of slaughtering abroad." Rabbi Avraham Bohbot, director of the Slaughter and Meat Import Department at the Chief Rabbinate, revealed the number of slaughterers sold by the Chief Rabbinate: "According to our lists, there are about 600 slaughterers that we know of. To the best of my knowledge, they earn between $800 and $1,100 per day of work, which brings their monthly salary to an increase of about $22,000 per month." The Chief Rabbinate claims that they do not deal with the placements of the slaughterers and the salaries they receive. Acting Head of the Kashrut Division and Director of Enforcement at the Chief Rabbinate in Israel, Rabbi Rafael Yochai: "The Chief Rabbinate does not interfere with the amounts paid For slaughterers who are abroad, the employment of slaughterers is in the private market and is not supervised by the Rabbinate. The majority of the Israeli public trusts the kashrut of the Chief Rabbinate in Israel. "The way slaughterers are certified is through private internships and then a theoretical and practical examination by the Chief Rabbinate. Rabbi Bohbot: "40 slaughterers were trained this year in the State of Israel. About half of the slaughter team leaders are 60 years old and older. The goal of the slaughtering school that they want to establish is to prepare the next generation of slaughterers in Israel." The Ministry of Economy claims that despite the high costs of kashrut, the price of meat in Israel is actually on a downward trend. Danny Tal, Deputy Director of Imports, Ministry of Economy and Industry: "In the past, a kilogram of ground meat would cost 60 shekels, and today the average price is 30 shekels per kilogram. There are bureaucratic barriers in this market, but the regulators are doing a lot to facilitate the entry of meat into Israel." Attorney Hagit Igerman, from the legal department of the Ministry of Agriculture, responded to the claims that they burden meat imports with bureaucracy: "We approve the processes before and after slaughter. When meat arrives in its destination country, additional tests are performed. We adhere to European guidelines on meat inspection in all matters related to animal cruelty and maintaining health." Chairman Malinovsky: "We must regulate the field of kashrut of imported meat. The top priority is to solve the problem of mashgih-mashgih and increase the number of slaughterers recognized by the Chief Rabbinate. I ask to accept the procedures formulated for certifying slaughterers in Israel and the names of slaughterers recognized by the Chief Rabbinate in Israel.".