"We are at the crossroads of seasons," explains Mourad Ben Salem, manager of Med'Essor, a company present at the Rungis market. "The grape season is coming to an end, especially with the end of the Italian origin. We are also still at the very beginning of the Spanish clementine season. This season is struggling to start, as temperatures are not yet cold enough to really trigger consumption. Regarding production, the supply is relatively limited, given the rain in Spain and Portugal. The campaign for pomegranates from Spain and Morocco is due to start in early November. On the other hand, we are right in the middle of the persimmon season, but this year's supply is lower and made up of small sizes."
This is a normal situation for this time of year, except that prices are particularly high. "We are above 3 euros [3.25 USD] per kilo for grapes, between 1.5 euros and 2.5 euros [1.63-2.71 USD] for clementines, and generally speaking, fruit and vegetables are much more expensive than in previous years. We really feel the inflation. Clients are therefore buying half a pallet rather than a whole one, and cutting their margins to keep products affordable for consumers. Additionally, production volumes around the Mediterranean have generally dropped considerably, due to the ever-increasing production costs and the disappearance of farmers. We are therefore selling fewer volumes, but with stable sales given that prices have risen."
For more information:
Mourad Ben Salem
Med'Essor
Rue de Carpentras CP90295
94592 Rungis Cedex
Phone: 01 41 80 64 60
Mobile: 06 73 35 37 41
[email protected]