Meat prices continue to soar as Israelis gear up for Independence Day barbecues
People lining up to buy meat to put on the grill are grappling with price rises due to scarce competition, as local reforms fail to bring down costs for consumers
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel
Ahead of Independence Day, Israelis have been lining up at butcher counters to stock up on roast cuts to prepare sizzling slabs of meat. Faced with higher meat prices, they were feeling the pinch in their pockets at a time when many households are already contending with the rising costs of goods and are struggling to make ends meet in the shadow of the war.
Starting Wednesday after sunset and continuing on Thursday, tens of thousands of Israeli families will celebrate the country’s 77th birthday by participating in the Jewish state’s national pastime: charcoal grilling. Though heavily affected by the wildfires raging in the country’s center this year and a consequent nationwide ban on lighting fires in public areas, many were set to barbecue in their backyards or on their balconies.
Over the past year, meat prices in Israel continued to rise by an average of 2 % to almost 10% due to import trends, changes in local regulations, and global market influences, according to data and market trends collated and analyzed by non-bank credit provider Ultra Finance. The firm provides tailored funding solutions to thousands of businesses and enterprises, including the food sector.
For example, the price of entrecote rose from NIS 145.7 ($40.21) per kilogram in April 2024 to NIS 152 ($42) per kg in 2025 – an increase of about 4 percent. Fresh chicken breast climbed from NIS 38.6 ($10.64) to NIS 42 ($11.59) per kg – an increase of about 9%. The price of chicken thighs is about 3% higher, rising more moderately, from NIS 60 $16.56) to NIS 62 ($17.11) per kg year-on-year. According to Consumer Price Index data for March 2025, frozen beef prices rose by 1.6%, poultry by 1.4%, and lamb by 1.1%.
“A comparison between supermarket chains and butcher shops illustrates the gap: In the chains, meat prices are tens of percent lower, but private butcher shops continue to attract customers thanks to high quality and personal service,” said Ultra Finance analyst Roy Lengy. “Surveys show that many Israelis are willing to pay more at butcher shops for fresh meat cuts, quality, and a personal service atmosphere, which explains their continued popularity despite the high prices.”
Ultra Finance’s report is based on a combination of proprietary data analysis, insights from the company’s financing activities with businesses across the food sector, and a review of publicly available market research.
During Independence Day week, there is a threefold increase in the amount of meat and other products bought for grilling compared to a regular week. The average Israeli consumes 19.6 kg of beef per year, about 50% more than in 2015, according to the latest data by the Agriculture Ministry.
Lengy attributed continued price increases to a combination of local and global factors.
“The Hamas war led to a decline in demand by war-hit consumers for [more expensive] steaks, but created a ‘contagion effect’ that pushed up the prices of cheaper cuts, such as ground beef, which soared by tens of percent,” said Lengy. “Importers who had accumulated surplus entrecote compensated for the losses by raising the prices of other cuts.”
In addition, high concentration in the local meat market, controlled by a small number of importers and slaughterhouses, limits competition, according to Lengy.
“Due to a shortage of skilled butchers, retail chains switch to the sale of pre-packaged meat, which in turn leads consumers to buy [fresh meat] at more expensive butcher shops,” said Lengy.
Globally, “production and input costs, including animal food, such as soybeans and grain prices, which account for about 65% of the cost of raising chickens, have soared in the past year due to trade disruptions, including the trade war between the US and China and the war in Ukraine,” said Lengy.
Israel is a country without wide open spaces of grazing land for cattle, and a growing population, which increases the country’s reliance on meat imports. Between 70% and 80% of the meat consumed in Israel is derived from imports, and 20% to 30% from local production. Fresh meat from imported calves makes up about a third of the beef consumed in Israel. Imported frozen meat accounts for more than 40%, imported chilled meat 17%, and meat from Israeli-grown calves about 14%.
Earlier this year, the government introduced rises in taxes, prices and utility bills. The new year also ushered in a slew of reforms aimed at lowering prices by aligning Israeli and European standards to ease trade barriers for imports and foster competition.
The food sector reform includes expanding the adoption of European regulation in areas such as food safety and labeling, to reduce bureaucracy and bring savings to the importer of 7% to 11%.
“The reform, which came into effect in 2025, helps to cut time and costs of meat imports,” said Lengy. “However, the reform did not lead to a significant price drop [for consumers], partly due to global price increases and the high concentration in the local market.”
The Times of Israel Community.