The Department of Mitzvot Dependent on the Land deals with the kashrut of agricultural produce grown in Israel. It handles halachic issues related to crops, in order to ensure that the produce reaching the public meets halachic requirements.
The department’s responsibility is to ensure there is no concern of orlah in the fruit and that terumot and ma’aserot have been separated as required. The department’s main goal is to ensure that consumers in stores can obtain fruits with the highest level of kashrut.
The department serves 3,000 farmers who cultivate approximately 950,000 dunams of orchards.
To this end, the department employs over 15 agronomists and supervisors throughout the country, and under its responsibility are approximately 950,000 dunams of orchards.
In addition, the department trains supervisors and mashgichim (kashrut supervisors) throughout the country and provides updated and professional information to the mashgichim in order to maintain professional and uniform work according to the procedures established by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
The process of checking for orlah is done physically by specially trained agronomists. After an on-site inspection by the supervisor, the grower will receive approval from the Chief Rabbinate for marketing regarding exemption from orlah in fruits for stores and businesses. The list of growers approved by the Chief Rabbinate is updated periodically on the Chief Rabbinate’s website.
For a list of farmers without concern of orlah fruit >>> Click
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