DOES THE CRISIS OF THE ISRAELI AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY A PRIVATE CASE?

Agriculture in Israel seems to be in a deep crisis. To overcome the challenges of the 21st century, it is, therefore, imperative for all parties involved to adopt a more creative attitude. The present crisis of the agriculture sector dictates a necessity to re-evaluate the cost/benefit of traditional farming.

Farmers and their representatives blame the causes of this crisis on two factors: the excessive brokerage margin, and the low priority given to agriculture by the government If continued, this policy will lead to a major long-term structural crisis in this sector.

The aquaculture industry that used to be an important agricultural industry and is still implemented overwhelmingly in kibbutzim is also struggling to survive. This industry provides about a third of the local, national fresh fish consumption except for salmon and sea bream. In contrast, the import volume of fresh fish, which dramatically rose in recent years, now exceeds 65% of the total fish consumption.

In the present economic situation, more farms are expected to close down their business. Water availability, the prohibitive cost of farm inputs, the low marketing prices of fish and the actual marketing mechanism further affect this industry. In contrast, some aquaculture enterprises that have diversified and intensified their cultures have encountered an economic consolidation. It also appears that when farms expand their production they stand a better chance to reach economic stabilization.