Chairman Carmel Shama-Hacohen of the Knesset Economics Committee said, Tuesday, that "Israel is the champion of the world in expensive produce prices and this is an intolerable situation." Speaking at the outset of a committee hearing into the price of fruits and vegetables, He said, "The prices ofbasic staples,includingfruitsandvegetables, have increasedsignificantly in recent yearsas a result ofprice gapsbetweenfarmersmerchants- a phenomenonthat is nothealthyin their pocketsand [not good for] the health of thepublic,andwe arehere toexamineandaddress themarket failurethat causesit."
The Likud lawmakercontinued, "The cost of livingoccupiesthewhole population,especiallythepublicdear to our hearts-the public to whomthe consumer price indexrelative tothe basicproductsis critical. [The prices of] staples, which are the primary and principle outlayto thecommunity go upand the consumerscrash down. There islink in the growing chain(farmers) - wholesalers-retail chains which exploitsmarket failure,and we intend tostop the phenomenon."