Israeli food exports during the first quarter of 2003 amounted to US$121m, an increased of 14% in terms of sales returns in US dollars, compared with the same period last year. Gezy Kaplan, chairman of the Food Division at the Manufacturers Association of Israel, said that during the first quarter, the export of confectionery and bakery products was up 65%. He explained that the reasons for the increase in export volume are due to shipments before the Passover holiday and as a result of an intensive sales promotion campaign in the US for Israeli food products.