Israel’s citrus industry, which accounts for 30 percent of the nation’s exports, did not suffer as a result of last June’s war, and its export crop has in fact increased by 18 percent this season, Moshe Levin, European director of the Citrus Marketing Board of Israel, said here today. Mr. Levin spoke before a large gathering of citrus fruit wholesalers and retailers in the London area. He noted that the Israeli fruit may be relatively cheaper than fruit from other countries, as a result of the devaluation of the Israeli pound.
Mr. Levin said the increase in citrus production for export is represented by a record 19 million standard cases, of which 4 million cases of Jaffa oranges and nearly a million cases of grapefruit have been assigned to the British market. This is an increase of 7 and 9 percent respectively over last season’s exports to Britain.
He said that, over the last 10 years, the export of Jaffas had risen from 8 million to 17-1/2 million cases per annum, an increase of 117 percent. Jaffas now account for about 25 percent of the European orange market. Mr. Levin said that there will be no major changes in the policies of Israel’s citrus marketing board. As in previous years, part of the crop will be sold at auction and part by private contract.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
