Israel's Agricultural Output Reaches Billions Amid Resource Demands
Israel's agricultural sector produced 2.6 billion eggs and 1.7 billion liters of cow's milk in the past agricultural year. The sector also generated approximately 630,000 tons of chicken and 98,000 tons of turkey. In crop production, potatoes led with 564,000 tons, followed by tomatoes at 350,000 tons, carrots at 137,000 tons, and peppers at 122,000 tons. Among fruits, avocados were the top product with about 270,000 tons, trailed by bananas at 148,000 tons. The total value of Israel's agricultural output is 39 billion shekels, with plant-based products accounting for 54.6% and animal products for 45.4%.
Producing this volume requires significant resources. The agricultural input value, including depreciation, totals 22.3 billion shekels. Animal feed constitutes the largest component of these inputs at 32.7%, followed by replacements, repairs, administration, depreciation, chicks, seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, fuel, electricity, and water, which accounts for 8.2% of inputs. Israeli agriculture spans approximately 3.4 million dunams, with field crops using 1.8 million dunams, non-citrus orchards 773,000 dunams, and vegetables 624,000 dunams. Additionally, about 1.5 million dunams are planted forest and 1.6 million dunams are used for grazing.
Agricultural exports amounted to 5.1 billion shekels. In terms of consumption, the food supply balance for 2023 showed approximately 2,732 kilocalories available per person per day. Cereals and their products provided the largest share of calories at 32.6%, followed by oils and fats at 17.3%. Vegetables, fruits, potatoes, and starches contributed 13.2%, and meat accounted for 11.5%.
The sector's reliance on weather was highlighted, with the 2024/25 rainy season recording only 3.33 billion cubic meters of precipitation, significantly below the multi-year average of 6.13 billion cubic meters. These figures illustrate the extensive production system, involving billions of shekels, millions of dunams, and substantial water, energy, and resource inputs, behind every food item reaching Israeli shelves.
