Israel Airlifts Eggs to Prevent Shortages During Passover

In her WhatsApp group for mothers, Elana Dror is noticing an unusual topic in the morning discussions: where to find eggs.

For the past couple weeks, she and other Israeli shoppers have faced a shortage of eggs in supermarkets across the country, thanks to a combination of hoarding and a difficulty importing from key suppliers Italy and Spain, where the coronavirus pandemic is hitting particularly hard.

So Israel is launching emergency egg airlifts and expediting shipments to get in enough supply before Wednesday night’s start to the Jewish holiday of Passover.

“It’s very difficult to find eggs,” said Dror, chief economist for Israel’s Farmers Association. “Whenever I go to the store now, if I see eggs, I’ll buy.”

Eggs are popular symbols at Easter gatherings among Christians this time of year, and they’re also important in the Jewish faith. Passover typically begins with a large family meal, featuring a ritual plate in the table center that includes a hard-cooked egg to symbolize renewal and sacrifice. During the rest of the roughly week-long holiday, leavened foods are prohibited so cooks rely heavily on eggs for everything from breakfast to dessert.

Typically Israel produces enough eggs on its own to feed itself, about 9 million per day, according to Dror. But Passover is peak-demand season for the protein, and a rare occasion when the country imports tens of millions of them.

With thousands of Israelis at home now rather than on vacation, demand is only rising. Eggs have become so coveted that Ministry of Agriculture officials say they have thwarted attempts to smuggle 12,000 within a single 24-hour window.

That could explain the government’s urgency to arrange emergency supplies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is working on the egg program, at the same time as he is dealing with the broader crisis and negotiating to form a new government.

Officials are now subsidizing egg imports and the first planes full of eggs began arriving this week, with the promise of more than 32 million to arrive by the end of April.