Drastic decline in exports of Israeli-made matzo to the US: After 5 years in which Israeli exports dominated a market share of approximately 40%, the Passover matzo sales business recorded a decline of 11% this year. In contrast, in the field of hand-held matzo, an increase of 15% was recorded. The American matzo market is estimated at over 85 million dollars, so the bite in the Israeli market may be difficult for the export industry in this field.
The data was provided by retailers and food merchants in the US, who said that as early as March, a steep decline in the number of orders could be felt.
What caused the decline, not to say a crash, in the consumption of Israeli matzo? Experts in the field of kosher food in the US explain that the price gap between local producers and Israeli imports has narrowed in recent years. If in the past the price gap was about 30% in favor of the Israeli product, this year the price gaps have narrowed significantly.
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Another influential factor is the increase in sales of hand-made matzah, which was mentioned. If in the past, the round, slightly burnt matzah were purchased only by Haredim who were careful to preserve matzah, today even modern Orthodox people are purchasing the product, which is sold for only $13.99 [a small half-kilo package] at stores like Costco. Experts predict that the market share of 'hand-made matzah' will grow in the coming years, and may capture about 30% of the local market share.
Which Israeli brands are suffering the sharp drop in orders? It's still difficult to determine.
Matzot Yehuda, for example, reported that the company's sales have only increased in recent years, mainly in light of the innovations it brought to the matzo market, such as 'gluten-free matzot', which have become very popular.
