This year, the French pear harvest was impacted by approximately 80%, so wholesalers are struggling to supply their clients. “The offer of French pears is very limited. It is difficult for us to find the merchandise we want,” explains Hamidouche Seridj of Monloup on the Rungis market.
“We cannot place orders for the next day, we must plan ahead. The market is complicated and it is more difficult to sell because prices have doubled. French pears are really overpriced, so much so that it is now more interesting to buy a chicken than a kilo of pears, whose price varies between 4.99 and 6.99€ [5.64 and 7.91 USD].”
To compensate for this shortage of French products, other origins are filling up the stalls of wholesalers. “The clients are turning more and more towards foreign origins like the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal or Italy, which have a more extensive offer at better prices that remain coherent for the French market.”
As for the quality, Hamidouche Seridj is still divided on the issue. “We always look for excellence and we are particularly demanding when it comes to the quality of our merchandise. And this year, the quality is very good given the difficult season, but we struggle to reach the levels we usually work with.”
For more information:
Hamidouche Seridj
Monloup
[email protected]