Israel Matzav

Israeli technology ensures lulavim for Succoth holiday

In an earlier post, I discussed our problems with getting lulavim (palm fronds) for the upcoming Succoth holiday, and how the problem is being solved via imports from Jordan. But the problem is also being solved in part by harvesting more lulavim from Israel and - surprise - there's a high tech story behind that.

With the Israeli harvest of palm fronds typically about 200,000 annually, there was a yawning gap ahead of the holiday. But around the time of the previous Egyptian ban, David Kenigsbuch and Nehemia Aharoni, two researchers at Israel’s Volcani Center, began developing a system for storing palm fronds.

Like Christmas trees in the West, the only market of palm fronds last for a limited time before on onset of the Succot holiday, but lulavim could only be stored for between 30 to 45 days, meaning that the harvest season was limited to a very short period before the holiday.

“We developed a special technique that preserves the lulav for up to six months. Now growers can begin harvesting as early as the spring in time for Succot,” Kenigsbuch told The Media Line. “The whole idea about this was to not be reliant on imports and help provide more income to growers.”

The technique involves other factors, such as special packaging. But the preservative is the key factor and some rabbis objected that it wasn’t kosher, Kenigsbuch said. In fact, the preservative eventually disintegrates and most rabbis therefore approve its use. For those who don’t, Kenigsbuch and Aharoni found another preservative whose only drawback is that it gives the fronds somewhat shorter shelf-life, he said.

The improved storage technique, as well as efforts to develop new varieties of date palms has encouraged growers to plant more acreage, Kenigsbuch said.

Mizrahi says prices for palm fronds are about the same as last years, or 30 shekels ($8.80) each. He said the big wholesales began locking up their supplies from domestic growers over the past few months and were ready to cope with the Egyptian ban when it came. Smaller dealers have had to rely on last-minute contracts with Jordanian growers, paying about $2 a frond, including transport and other costs.

Hmmm.

Labels: Israeli high tech, Lulavim

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:46 AM