Israeli date growers on Sunday called on consumers to fill their shopping carts with fresh, yellow Barhi dates in the run-up to the Jewish New Year, which begins on September 22, to keep businesses afloat in the face of US tariffs, flooded European markets and the closure of Gaza — usually the industry’s second biggest customer.
Reports of similar problems related to mangoes have been surfacing over the past month.
Gal Twig, responsible for dates at the Plant Production and Marketing Board, explained that most Israeli dates were usually sold in Europe and the US. This year, however, US tariffs (15 percent for Israeli produce) had not only made exporting there expensive, but had diverted competitors from all over the Middle East to Europe, flooding the European market.
Gaza — currently closed because of the ongoing war against Hamas — was traditionally the second biggest market for Israeli dates, he added. Little was exported to Gulf countries, where other producers, such as Egypt and Iran, were active, Twig went on, explaining that Israeli growers were now trying to gain a bigger foothold in Asia.
This year is expected to see a bumper Barhi date harvest of 58,000 tons, 15% more than last year.
According to the Plant Board, Israel’s NIS 1.2 billion ($360 million) date industry involves around 600 date growers farming 60,000 to 70,000 dunams (14,800 to 17,300 acres) mainly in the southern Arava and Jordan Valley, and benefits tens of thousands of families directly and indirectly. Input costs are relatively high, given that a date tree takes five to seven years to bear fruit.
Around NIS 900 million ($270 million) worth of the harvest is earmarked for export, with the rest going to the local market, where there is no foreign competition.
The shelf life of the yellow Barhi date is just 30 to 50 days after picking.
Twig said he expected local date prices to fall, although much would depend on the large retail chains.
He said he was not aware of anti-Israel boycotts impacting sales overseas.
Dates popularly feature on Jewish New Year tables, both as a symbol of sweetness and of an end to enemies, ill will, and negative events. The Hebrew word for date, tamar, shares a linguistic root with tam, or end.