The war that broke out on October 7 initially caused severe disruptions in Israel’s Negev region, impacting local tomato production. Over the past decade, domestic production had already been reduced due to policies encouraging imports and tariff reductions that, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, were not accompanied by adequate support for farmers. The October 2023 disruptions delivered another significant blow to the industry. However, recent efforts have revived local agriculture, with domestic tomato production now covering more than 90% of national demand.
Expansion of Cultivation Areas
The recovery was achieved in part through targeted support from the Ministry of Agriculture. This included expanding cultivation areas, increasing yields and productivity, and relocating farming operations to more arable lands. According to the ministry, these efforts have proven that government support can strengthen local production and enhance national food security. Significant expansion of tomato cultivation has also been seen in the Golan Heights and other northern regions, thanks to ministry-backed initiatives.
Currently, tomatoes on the market are sourced from regions such as the Arava, the Jordan Valley, the Shfela region, the Valley of Springs, and the western Negev—areas that grow tomatoes during the winter months beginning in December.
A Drop in Tomato Prices
The increased local supply has had a noticeable impact on prices. Over the past month, the wholesale price of tomatoes has dropped significantly, from 11 shekels per kilogram to just 6 shekels.
In normal years, most tomatoes are produced domestically, with imports supplementing demand during the summer and fall. However, since the start of the war, tomato imports were ramped up to compensate for disruptions. Israel allows imports from 32 countries, but in 2024, imports from Turkey ceased in March due to a Turkish export ban, and imports from Jordan stopped in mid-August and have yet to resume. From August to November, the Ministry of Agriculture opened quotas for duty-free imports totaling 10,000 tons, but importers did not fully utilize these quotas.
As local production has recovered, imports have declined sharply. In November, imports totaled just 700 tons, and in the last week of the month, there were none. This contrasts sharply with the peak of October 2023, when imports reached a record 11,270 tons.
“A Recovery in Local Tomato Production”
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security explained that during the autumn months, even in non-war years, local tomato production typically meets only about half of the national demand due to seasonal transitions and summer heat damage. However, targeted support measures in recent months have ensured a stable supply of fresh tomatoes and provided farmers with greater certainty, encouraging them to plant more extensively than usual for this time of year. As a result, the end of this fall season has seen a notable recovery in local tomato production.
The ministry concluded: “We intend to continue supporting vegetable growers next year to further increase domestic production, particularly in the autumn months when production tends to be lower. This will reduce dependence on imports and align with the government’s food security initiative to increase local production by approximately 30% over the next decade.”
