"We thought we had reached record levels, but prices continue to rise"

Against a backdrop of "very high prices", both in France and abroad, Geoffrey Aumont, Paris Ail salesman on the Rungis market, takes stock of the current garlic market. "For several years now, we have been observing a reduction in production areas in Spain, which is Europe's biggest garlic producer. This decline is due to weather hazards, which have had a negative impact on production and yields, as well as to rising insurance costs. But the shortage of garlic in Europe is also due to a number of diseases affecting French and Spanish garlic seeds. These factors partly explain today's price levels, which are almost twice as high for Spanish garlic as they were four or five years ago. We thought we had reached the peak, but prices continue to rise every 3-4 months. Even Chinese garlic, which is usually €1 cheaper per kilo [1.08 USD], prices are almost identical. And when it comes to peeled garlic, we have hit record prices this year."

A lack of yields could lead to a shortage of French garlic throughout the year
This 2024/2025 campaign looks set to be similar to the previous one. The poor weather conditions during the harvest have had an impact on both yields and quality. "It is never good to harvest in the rain. It brings diseases like the waxy breakdown, which causes discoloration and drying out of the garlic cloves. The bad weather has also had an impact on yields. Last year, some growers suffered yield losses of up to 80%. We have invested in high-performance equipment for processing, storing and preserving garlic in order to be able to meet our clients' needs for French garlic throughout the year, but the lack of volumes is once again threatening continuity of supply."

From trade to production
Although Paris Ail is now the largest garlic producer in France, the company originally developed its business in trade and export. "We started out as a distribution unit. One of our strengths is that we are based at Rungis, at the heart of the world's largest fresh produce market. Over the years, we have invested in packaging companies as well as land, in order to start producing. This choice was motivated by the desire to gain credibility with our clients. Today, the company's garlic production facility covers an area of 140 hectares. Production has expanded in recent years to meet year-round demand for French garlic. And with our associate producers, we have a total of 300 hectares, which corresponds to around 3,000 tons of garlic. Being a producer means that we can control the quality of our products from A to Z, and have impeccable traceability from the field to the shelves. Our clients also appreciate our great flexibility when it comes to packaging and labeling. We are able to adapt to any request by offering a wide choice of packaging, from braids to baskets, bunches or bags. This is essential when we export, bearing in mind that each country has its own specific requirements. In addition to our own production, we also have a trading business to meet the needs of each of our clients."