MK (Yahadut HaTorah) Menachem Moses this week questioned the annual sharp increase in poultry prices ahead of Pessach. Moses turned to Minister of Agriculture, Shalom Simchon, explaining in recent days, poultry prices in some supermarkets have shot up as much as 100%.
Moses pointed out the trend repeats itself annually, questioning if the ministry has taken any steps to prevent he unacceptable practice. Moses spoke of a possible cartel, demanding the ministry investigate and take the appropriate action.
He explained he is prompted by the growing number of complaints he has received from alarmed consumers, who have a difficult enough time making Pesach and paying the regular prices, yet alone the exorbitant increase.
Moses added he plans to take his case to the Industry & Trade Ministry and the Israel Consumer Council as well.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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2 Responses
No one is seriously concerned with this. If they were, as a tzibor, with or without the leadership of rabbonim shlita, they would dine on potatoes until the market returned to normalcy. Sacrifice is out of the question, it seems. Nobody ever died from a lack of chicken.
Every individual store manager sets the prices on chicken and meat and it is up to the manager to show profit on a regular basis-not just Pesach. In most frum communities there is group buying at cost with no markup -bypassing the stores altogether through a communal tzedaka organization. Therefore the stores know they are losing on kosher LePesach items-especially chicken/meat and fish- and have to raise prices. The stores make their profit on Chol Hamoed because the group buying is only once before Pesach and they count on people running out of items.