Are supermarkets overselling French vegetables? French producers, through the voice of the professional federation Légumes de France, denounce the “excessive margins” practiced by large retailers. “An attitude that reflects the lack of consideration of these brands for their commitments to food sovereignty, which are nevertheless widely proclaimed in advertisements,” laments the association in a press release.
According to the professional federation, which is based on figures from the national agricultural office FranceAgriMer, the gross margin of truss tomatoes of French origin amounted to 1.82 euros during the last week of March, i.e. 84% of the rate margin compared to 28% on average during the last week of March. last three years. In the second week of April, the gross margin reached 1.64 euros, that is, a margin rate of 73% compared to the 55% average of the last three years.
imported vegetables
Because, in addition to tomatoes, there are also cucumbers. According to Légumes de France, the margin rate rose to 90% during the last week of March, compared to 66% on average in the last three years. In the second week of April, the margin rate for cucumbers reached 76%, compared to an average of 61% in the last three years. A similar situation is also for strawberries, generally grouped with vegetables because they are close to commercial horticulture.
These high margins “block the consumption of French products” in favor of vegetables imported from abroad, regrets Jean-Pierre La Noë, who ensures that the prices offered in supermarkets “are not linked to the cost of production” but to the margins practiced by distributors. Spain, Morocco and the Netherlands sell their products at very low prices. “We need big retailers, but they have to play the game,” says the cucumber grower.
Source: BFM TV
