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Why is matzah so expensive? I know of many families who just simply cannot afford it. Over $20 a pound is totally ridiculous and excessive. Any way the price of shmura matzah could be lowered?
…esp. when you’re lucky to get 2 that aren’t broken.
Because they can get away with it.
Why cant someone open a new bakery and sell it for half the price?
Matzah-Why so expensive?
Because its Matza Oni .
When you buy it, it makes you poor
shmoel: Unfortunately, because like the arbah minim business the matzah business is very lucrative and is controlled by several groups (a cartel, if you will) who work together to keep prices up and deel with competition very harshly (if you know what I mean). A new independent bakery opened in the Five Towns a couple of years ago, but they only lasted one year . . .
RSRH, I disagree, the matzoh season is a short one and very labor intensive. they need to have the premises the whole year but it is only used for a few months. the matzos are all done by hand which requires a lot of workers. Many of the workers specialize and make their entire years salary on the matzohs, such as the men who put the matzohs into the oven. the costs are very high and they only actually make money for a few weeks. This money has to cover the year round costs. Also ultimately it is a business and they need to make enough for themselves to survive the year round also.
vizhnitz matzos in monsey are $10 a pound YES 10 dollars a pound you can save at least half your money! It’s worth the gas!
Where do you shop? You dont have to pay $20 a pound.
How much did you pay, what brand, and what grocery?
the seasonal argument is nonsense. Most businesses are seasonal of some sort
Ever hear of the term “Black Friday” (The day after Thanksgiving) , it has nothing to do with Thankgiving, December 25 or anything. Its referring to the accounting priciciples of Red (Meaning Losing Money) and Black (Making money)
Black friday is the first day retail busineses make money during the year.
Matza is expensive because people will pay for it, if people refused to pay the prices and say bought cheaper Machine Matza, the price would come down
One can use machine matzah if they cannot afford hand matzah.
And there is Machine shmura. I only use hand matzos that I produce myself, about two kilo, and supplement with machine shmura. On the EY scene, 2.5 kilo ( a five pound long box) went for 79, 89, 99 shekel in the last three years, compared to 120/kg and up for the hand matzo. Its too late for me to do the math, but machine is much less, easier on old brittle teeth, and often just as tasty. And to some shittos, a hiddur.
There is very little extortion in hand-matza prices. I run my own chabura and know exactly what each component costs. When I total all our expenses and divide by the quantity baked, it usually comes out 150-170 shekel/kilo. This equals over $19/lb. Inevitably a commercial bakery can reduce some of the expenses, but they are also entitled to a profit.
I just saw in the store $10 a pound hand Shumura Matza and it wasnt in Monsey and it wasnt in a cheap store. It was in NYC
I haven’t looked this year, but in the past there have been low priced hand shmura matzo from Eretz Yisroel and the Ukreaine of all places. I assume that those matzohs are quite old and that you get what you pay for.
Does anyone know exactly what happened to the 5 town matza bakery that was opened a few years ago under Rabbi Belsky’s hashgocha?
Zehavasdad – Do you any knowledge at all about the costs of production and operation of Shmura matza?
as for Black Friday, the economics of millions and millions of consumers shopping during their holiday season doesn’t quite compare to the rather smaller (obvious understatement) percentage of those who buy Shmura Matza.
idk, that was tiferes matzah bakery i was also wondering what happened to it.
People pay upwards of 250 dollars or more for a lemon every year in the fall and it is chalked up to hiddur mitzvah. Nobody wonders why the lemons suddenly cost so much or why the lemon brokers are making so much money. Matzah is the same mitzvah, if you can’t afford the price of those matzos that come with every hiddur and chumra under the sun priced in, buy the less expensive matzos. You are yotze the mitzva just the same.
In fact, it is probably better than muttering about the cost under your breath while you are eating your matzah.
People pay upwards of 250 dollars or more for a lemon every year in the fall and it is chalked up to hiddur mitzvah.
The overwhelming majority don’t pay anywhere near $250 for a “lemon” But must pay that for their families “flour and water”
women don’t reequire a “lemon” but must partake of “flour and water”. One can use a matana al m’nas l’hachzir with a “lemon” but can’t do that w/ “flour and water”
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