Religious-Zionist rabbis announced Tuesday that they have established an alternate kashrut authority to provide certification for produce in several cities during the shmita, or sabbatical, year.

The alternate authority, founded by Tzohar rabbis, is intended to bypass the Chief Rabbinate's hard-line approach, which critics blamed for leaving several cities without certified produce.

Rabbi David Stav said religious-Zionist rabbis of all streams and business owners had appealed to Tzohar for help. He said Tzohar's move is also intended to prevent damage to farmers and consumers due to the increase in produce prices, and to protect some two million consumers whose cities lost their kashrut permits.