Milk supply was halted overnight between Monday and Tuesday, as production now relies solely on remaining inventory. Industry sources warn that without an immediate return to regular raw milk supply, a significant shortage of dairy products will be felt as early as Wednesday.
Sources familiar with the details told Israel Hayom that dairy farmers plan to escalate their protest measures if the Knesset committee does not transfer the discussion of the dairy reform to the Economics Committee. According to them, the halt to the raw milk supply has no time limit, even though it is causing economic damage to farmers, estimated at approximately 10 million shekels ($2.8 million) per day.
Another senior source involved in the details told Israel Hayom, "The supply stoppage has no time limit. Final decisions will be made on Wednesday, but the fundamental decision is to raise the level of protest."
The industry estimates that disruptions in milk supply will already be felt on Wednesday, partly due to consumers' panic buying on Tuesday in preparation for the shortage. The dairies are currently operating on remaining inventory, which will likely last until Thursday. Additional disruptions of a day or two could lead to empty milk and related product shelves, and estimates are that, if no agreements are reached by Sunday, there will be almost no milk on the shelves.
Against the backdrop of the dairy farmers' strike, some food chains have already begun limiting milk purchases. The Carrefour chain limited purchases to two cartons, the Mahsanei Hashuk chain to three units, and other chains are considering similar measures on Wednesday.
Yossi Shilo, vice president of commerce at the Tiv Taam supermarket chain, told Israel Hayom, "The general milk shortage has continued for over a year, unrelated to the dairy farmers' strike. This is a permanent shortage, which is expected to worsen if the crisis with farmers is not resolved. I anticipate a shortage more unusual than normal already on Wednesday, and if the strike continues into Thursday, Thursday will already be a catastrophe."
According to him, the shortage is expected primarily in fresh milk and cottage cheese, which are already in short supply, while in other cheeses, a shortage is expected within two to three days. "I am considering limiting the milk quantity to two units, so that more consumers can purchase milk," he added.
Another industry source said that Wednesday is expected to see a partial shortage of dairy products produced daily, including milk, cottage cheese, and soft cheeses. According to him, if the strike continues into Thursday and Friday, a significant shortage is expected in the industry, due to a bottleneck forming toward the weekend.
