Hefetz: "a fairly new development is that food exports to Asia soared by 79% compared with the same six month period last year and totaled some US$92 million dollars"
Avi Hefetz, CEO of the Israel Export Institute said last week that Israel's food exports for the first half of 2011 rose 15% to US$463 million.
According to Hefetz half of the increase in exports came from increases in costs reflecting the food price increases worldwide.
Hefetz noted that a fairly new development is that food exports to Asia soared by 79% compared with the same six month period last year and totaled some US$92 million dollars. For the first time exports to North America and Asia are fairly even, each representing about 20% of Israel's food exports.
The main jump in food exports to Asia was in processed vegetables and fruits where sales climbed 150% compared to the same period last year.
Food exports to North America totaled US$94 million, a rise of 8% compared to the same period last year. Some 41% of Israel's food exports go to Europe where like Asia the processed fruits and vegetables are in great demand.
