The inversion of the curve does not seem to occur tomorrow, or even in early 2024. The prices of food products are not “going to go down” on the shelves next year because the costs of the companies that manufacture them have not fallen in general, the president of the agri-food lobby Ania stressed this Tuesday.
“Fortunately we have entered a phase of disinflation: prices will not fall but inflation will slow down,” Jean-Philippe André, president of Ania, the main representative organization of agri-food companies (excluding cooperatives) in the region, told reporters. . ).
“Slower than last year”
Exceptionally, in 2024, annual trade negotiations between supermarket brands and their suppliers will conclude early, no later than January 31 (instead of March 1). The government introduced this measure, recently adopted by Parliament, in the hope that price reductions for certain ingredients (cereals, oils, poultry, etc.) would translate as quickly as possible into a reduction in sales prices. The cost of food increased for the French by 21% between January 2021 and October 2023.
However, most agri-food companies will enter into negotiations with increasing prices because their costs (agricultural raw materials, packaging, transportation, salaries, energy, etc.) “continue to increase”, although “fortunately, at a slower rate than the year past,” he said. Jean-Philippe André.
“It’s going to be violent”
“The result [des négociations] “Perhaps it does not live up to the expectations” of political leaders and distributors, highlighted Miloud Benaouda, president of Barilla (pastes, sauces) for Western Europe, head of Ania’s industry-commerce commission. As illustrated, there is a “relaxation” in the price of durum wheat, which is used to make pasta, but there are still “strong tensions” in tomatoes and sugar, which are used in the composition of sauces, while ” “The energy is still very high.”
“The buyers [de la distribution] “We have many files to deal with” in a short period of time and “we will have to be more careful.” According to him, one of them thus began the haggling by asking for “-30%” with respect to what had been negotiated a year ago.
Source: BFM TV
