Israeli dairy cows produce more milk than dairy cows do in other countries.

The Israeli dairy cows produced an average of nearly 2,642 gallons of milk a year in 2009, according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics last week. Some 344,480 gallons of milk were produced by Israeli cows in 2010.

By comparison, dairy cows in the United States produce 2,465 gallons of milk per year and European Union cows 1,622 gallons per year, according to the Jerusalem Post.

There is an estimated 25 percent increase in the purchase of dairy products by Israelis in the days leading up to Shavuot, when Jews traditionally eat dairy holiday meals.

A cow from Kibbutz Karmia near Gaza was named the highest milk-producer for the second year in a row, giving more than 20,000 liters or about 5,283 gallons of milk in one year.

There are 125,000 dairy cows in Israel, and the average Israeli consumes about 45 gallons of dairy products a year. — jta