“The red line has been crossed”

On July 13th, French peach-nectarine producers dumped fruit in front of the Auchan store in Perpignan and wholesaler Ets Barioux in Lyon to protest the sale of French products at "extremely low" prices.

Entrance to Auchan shopping centre in Perpignan.

"The red line has been crossed," according to FNPFruits. Last week, Auchan launched a nationwide promotional campaign for peaches at 2.19 euro [2.39 USD] retail price, "upsetting the fragile balance of the sector."

The unions have decided to intervene, and FNSEA president Arnaud Rousseau is due to discuss the matter with store managers in the next few days. FNPFruits warns that they are "determined, vigilant and mobilized until the end of the season."

"With production costs estimated this year at €1.80-1.90/kg [1.96-2.07 USD/kg], we expect the consumer price of large-caliber fruit (A) to be no less than €2.50 [2.72 USD]," explains Raphaël Martinez, director of Peaches and Apricots of France.

Fruit dumped in front of wholesaler Ets Barioux. The growers accuse the wholesaler of selling off French peaches and marketing products from Spain.

Difficult market at present
The current situation has angered producers and unions alike. "For several weeks now, the market of peaches and nectarines has been deteriorating" due to unusually high harvests for the season (35% of volumes harvested this year compared to last), unfavourable weather conditions that have weakened the fruit and not encouraged consumption, and the lack of priority given to French products, according to FNPF. "Our companies have been forced to build up stocks, and a significant proportion of our fruit has been thrown away. We have made huge concessions, offering consumers quality fruit at very low prices."

The sector is optimistic, hoping that the start of the Olympic Games in Paris and the return of nicer weather in the coming days will improve the situation.

"Difficult start to the campaign"
In June, the sector called for the support of French production to face a "difficult start to the season", and professionals urged supermarkets and wholesalers to "urgently promote French fruit." Factors such as "unusual weather conditions, a purchasing power at half-mast and political instability" have significantly slowed down the marketing of many products."

Unions and producers are mobilized: "if distributors continue to apply these abusive prices, similar protests could occur in the next few days."