ISRAEL: Israeli meat consumption soars

Fresh meat consumption in Israel in 2000 will amount to 45,000 metric tonnes, an increase of 30% on 1999. Data supplied by the Israel Meat Production Board shows that sales of frozen meat in 2000 will also reach 45,000 metric tonnes, thus for the first time since the creation of Israel in 1948, consumption of fresh and frozen meat is equal in quantity.Deputy Director of the Board Ziv Matalon explained that the increase in fresh meat consumption in Israel is a result of the liberalisation policy which enables free import of calves for fattening; raising the quality standards of fresh meats, and employing aggressive marketing strategies. The Board's official predicted that consumption of fresh meat in Israel will increase steadily in the near future.In 1999, Israel imported 50,000 tonnes of frozen meat, mainly from Argentina. The import forecast for this year is 45,000 tonnes.