"Last week, French supermarket shelves still had 81% Spanish peaches and nectarines”

On June 15th, several dumpsters were filled with stone fruit by growers in front of two Intermarché stores in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. Two trucks dumped 10 tons of apricots and nectarines (unfit for consumption) in front of the store entrances. This union action was taken to denounce the excessive presence of Spanish products on the shelves at a time when the French campaign is in full swing.

The shift in origins is dragging out
"There are two reasons for the current tension," explains Raphaël Martinez, director of Peaches and Apricots of France. "The first is linked to the early harvest, with very large volumes of nectarines. Almost 2,000 tons were harvested by our growers this weekend, which is what we usually pick in early July." However, while many retail chains have already switched to the French origin, others still offer mainly Spanish products. "We survey 200 stores every week, and last week, 81% of the references on the shelves were still Spanish products." This is a difficult situation for producers, who are currently facing weather conditions that are not very conducive to consumption, and a period that is "not very favorable commercially either."

"2024 is an early year." Last year, in mid-June, the shift in origins had not taken place yet, due to a lower supply and fewer Spanish products on the shelves."

Tense commercial context
The current commercial context is still tense, with mediocre results observed in stores in recent weeks and some competition between retail chains. "Every week, we see attempts to offer the lowest prices on the market, regardless of the quality or size of the fruit. It is difficult for us, because we feel like we are playing table tennis. But the growers rarely have a say…," explains Raphaël Martinez.

Apricot volumes are also on the rise, due to the traditional peak of the season, but remain "affordable and acceptable to the market, and the promotions throughout France should easily absorb the volumes."

According to the unions, if the shift in origins does not come this week, some growers may decide to repeat their actions in front of these supermarket chains.