Farmers call off milk strike after Dichter intervenes, Smotrich threatens to scrap tariffs

The Israel Cattle Breeders’ Association announces that in response to a request from Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, it will resume supplying raw milk to dairy processing plants, following a day in which supplies were halted and milk shelves in supermarkets quickly emptied countrywide.

But plans for large protest convoys that will disrupt traffic and converge on the Knesset in Jerusalem tomorrow will go ahead as planned.

The announcement comes after the Finance Ministry announced earlier in the day that, in response to the strike, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich intended to sign an order “in the coming days” to scrap tariffs on imported dairy products “for an extended period.”

Smotrich is intent on breaking the centralized planning that has characterized the country’s dairy industry since the beginning of the state.

He wants to slash milk production by 30%, lower by 15% the price per liter that processing companies pay to dairy farmers, and scrap tariffs to allow more imports.

Farmers charge that the reform will cause widespread job losses in an industry that employs 15,000 and will harm food security. They complain that Smotrich should instead be tackling the monopolies that control the processing and retailing of dairy products.

The Wednesday demonstration aims to amplify those complaints.

The farmers continued to milk their cows despite not supplying the milk. A Dairy Board spokesman said the milk could be stored for 48 hours before it has to be disposed of.