A simple potato, a staple that one does not generally give a second thought to prior to purchasing is about to become a major food expense. Potato prices are expected to soar before Rosh Hashanah due to what will be a critical shortage of potatoes in Israel.
The reason has nothing to do with Shmitah but due to the simple fact that Russia has bought up all the potatoes grown in Israel. Apparently, the farmers are pulling a better price selling to Russia than they can receive by selling their produce locally, and as a result, there is about to be a major potato shortage in Israel.
Farmers explain that from their perspective, they are just trying to survive, nothing more, and they are compelled to sell their potatoes to Russia, paying a higher price than the local market. It appears the Russians are crazy about the Israeli-grown potatoes.
No one really has a solution to offer at present, confirming the entire potato crop has been sold to Russia, other than possibly importing potatoes from Russia for the local market.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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10 Responses
This spud’s for you
The “bottom line” philosophy in business is not such a good one, and it seems to be happening more and more on larger scale.
At the risk of posters making broad, sweeping insinuations and generalizations, I will say that maybe Karl Marx was not so wrong in stating the internal conflicts (providing and profit) of capitalism will be it’s own demise.
In English we call it Greed
Eric, it is called capitalism, are you selfish when you shop around for the lowest price for your produce?
Very Interesting – Marx may appear right to the untrained eye, his theories do not survive the test of time.
why is this greed? If they have an opportunity to turn their potatoes for a pofit, the KOL HAKAVOD. These are people who for most of the year live in poverty and aren’t living such a luxurious life, that they can turn down a deal. If we were in their shoes, i’m sure we wouldnt think twice!
#5, bobthebuilder (great name)
Interesting you say Marx may appear to be right to the ‘untrained’ eye, but his theories do not survive the test of time.
I would argue much of what Marx suggested is surviving the test of time and incorporated into the American system. Much of what Marx suggested as which was fused with communism and totalitarianism did not survive.
The trained eye will see that unemployment insurance, unions, employee benefits, social security, etc. are all Marxian.
The untrained eye is conditioned to think everything communist and totalitarian is Marxist.
In addition, Marx’s endorsement of dialectic debate is very much of the model of our democracy and two-party system.
Everything is more than it’s spin.
Hi undercover.
Please don’t speak for me. I would think twice about taking from the highest bidder if that sale would create the possibility of complications for others even in the smallest sense. It is not all about putting the most in your pocket, regardless.
I don’t get how this works with shemita. Potatoes grown before Rosh Hashana are being grown be’issur. They’re not the potatoes that we’d want to buy anyway? Which potatoes are being referred to here? Unless all of these potatoes are from the areas outside the shemita border.
So what’s wrong with Idaho potatoes?
I thought Rosh Hashona has to do with a Tapuach, not Tapuchei Adomo