Due to a large apple crop this year in Israel, it's expected that imports will be down significantly down from last year. With most of Israel's apple imports coming from the United States, and with diminished apple production in the United States, it's expected there will be fewer U.S. apples in Israel this year.According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report, Israel's 2012 apple crop is expected to total 125,000 metric tons, which is an increase of 25 percent over 2011's crop. With annual production averaging 115,000 metric tons, this year's crop is significantly bigger than last year's production as well as typical yearly production. According to the report, the reason for increased totals has been favorable weather in Israel's apple-growing regions around the hills of Galilee and Golan.
With annual consumption around 120,000 metric tons, this year's crop is expected to cover most domestic demand, and that means imports will likely be down. Though the U.S. market share of imported apples has been decreasing over the last few years, with a market share of 52 percent last season, it has remained the main supplier of imported apples in Israel.
The U.S. shipped 7,500 metric tons of apples to Israel last year. According to the report, however, U.S. apple exports to Israel will likely decrease in the upcoming season as poor harvests in parts of the U.S. result in fewer apples for export, increased domestic production in Israel leads to diminished imports and a strengthened dollar makes the cost of U.S. imports less attractive.