Sales of dairy products in Israel have gone up by 70 percent in the last week, ahead of the Shavuot holiday Tuesday, and cheeses comprised 45 percent of all dairy products sales, compared to 36 percent in an ordinary week.
According to data released by the Manufacturers Association, Israelis spent NIS 35 million (USD 8.7 million) on cheese products in 2007, a growth of 8 percent compared to last year.
Particularly large growth was registered in sales of whipped cream (187 percent), and of Mozzarella cheese (169 percent) compared to an ordinary week.
Reuven Schlissel, head of the Food Industries Division at the Association, estimated that general food sales will be 7 percent higher than the same period last year, due to the market's expansion and the increase in quality of life over the last year.
Other products that registered significant growth in sales before Shavuot were white cheeses (105 percent), salty cheeses (97 percent), specialty cheeses (77 percent), cream cheeses (77 percent), and semi-hard cheeses (58 percent).