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We have drafted a prospectus describing opportunities and constraints
regarding Ohio honey exports to Israel. Israelis will pay more for premium
foodstuffs, so there may be a developable market for honey. Israel is not
a big honey consumer and has an irregular import market, in part because
of import tariffs to protect agriculturally important bees. If the import
tariff is lowered, we will look for interested Ohio premium honey producers.
Israelis consume about 3,500 metric tons of honey per year, or 0.5 kg
per capita. This is about one-third to one-half of what is consumed
in the U.S. or Europe. One reason for this difference is that Israelis
consume most of their honey directly. Israel’s processed food
industry utilizes less honey than do consumers. Israel’s honey
market has not grown much despite aggressive marketing by Israeli producers.
Import quantities depend on how much honey Israeli producers make. In
years with rainy winters, more honey is produced locally and less is
imported. Most honey is imported from Bulgaria or Hungary, is low quality,
and is sold to producers/wholesalers, who repackage it. Very little
honey is imported from the U.S. In 2001, Israelis imported $916,000
worth of honey from the U.S. ($30,000 in 1999 and $94,000 in 1998).
Ohio honey growers have produced about 1.4 million pounds of honey per
year in recent years.
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