Tnuva Faces Cottage Cheese Shortage Due to Warehouse Control System Glitch

Tnuva is experiencing a shortage of its 5% cottage cheese and other dairy products on store shelves, caused by a malfunction in the automated warehouse control system at its Alon Tavor dairy plant. This system manages the handling and dispatch of pallets, and the fault has persisted for over a month. Repair efforts require technicians from abroad, but due to the current security situation in Israel, they have not yet arrived, forcing partial manual handling that only partially alleviates the issue.

Retailers report receiving only partial deliveries from dairies, with some stores running out of stock by morning. The shortage coincides with unusually high demand for dairy products, especially during holiday periods, which has further strained supply chains. Industry sources also note ongoing shortages in other dairy items such as strained yogurt and white cheese.

Tnuva states that despite the supply challenges, its production of cottage cheese has increased by approximately 4.5% compared to the same period last year. The company attributes the shortage primarily to the combination of high demand and logistical delays. Strauss, another dairy producer, says its inventory is regularly replenished and that any availability gaps are limited to isolated retail locations. Tnuva also emphasized that there is no shortage of its white cheese products.

The dairy sector highlights that disruptions caused by the conflict with Iran and increased holiday demand have complicated inventory management, making it difficult to meet consumption rates even after the Shavuot holiday. The situation remains unresolved as the warehouse system awaits technical repairs.