Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism) has reached an agreement with the Dairy Council regarding the rise in the price of price-controlled dairy during 2023, Smotrich’s office reported Monday.
Under the agreement, the price of dairy will rise 9.28% instead of the planned 17.5%, with an additional 3.1% rise in May 2024. The planned price hike of 1.5%, scheduled for November 2023, will not take place.
A one-liter carton of 3% milk will now cost 6.75 NIS, instead of the current 6.25 NIS, while the cost of white cheese will rise to 5.38 NIS instead of 4.98 NIS.

“We succeeded in nearly halving the rise in the price of dairy,” Smotrich said. “This was not simple, especially after [former Prime Minster Yair] Lapid and [former Finance Minister Avigdor] Liberman’s irresponsible management. The dairy farms had demands, but after lengthy negotiations, we halted the price hike, which should have been double. We would like to thank the dairy farms, who in spite of the previous agreement which was signed by Liberman…agreed to the request of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to spread out the price hikes and make things easier for the public.”
“The battle against the cost of living is not simple, but we are working with all our strength,” he added.