About 1,000 farmers and dairy farmers participated in demonstrations across the country today (Monday), from the Lebanese border to the Arava.
The farmers moved in convoys of tractors all over the country, blocking roads and intersections and causing traffic disruptions - and even spilling milk on the road, scattering hay and straw.
The demonstrations took place in the wake of the dairy reform being promoted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, which they claim could seriously harm the industry and close about 400 dairy farms in moshavim and kibbutzim in the periphery.
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The demonstrations are also in response to the government's policy of importing agricultural products duty-free from the US and other countries and exporting them with tariffs, which, they claim, will seriously harm all agricultural industries.
The farmers' leadership describes today's demonstrations as the opening shot of the struggle.
Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter addressed the dairy farmers' protest in the Knesset Finance Committee.
""It is important that members of the Knesset understand - the dairy reform will not pass. It will be removed from the Arrangements Law at my request. We have built an efficiency plan in the Ministry of Agriculture that will upgrade the dairy sector, not destroy it," he promised.
Meanwhile, the dairy reform was unanimously approved today by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: "I thank my friend, the chairman of the committee, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, all my fellow ministers, committee members, and all professionals for their support for the important reform to lower the cost of living in the State of Israel and strengthen Israeli agriculture and food security. It can be cheap here.".
