INTERVIEW
The effects of containment are starting to be felt ... also in supermarkets. Many French people have indeed seen an increase in the price of fruit and vegetables since mid-March, with products sometimes costing twice as much. Guest of the morning of Europe 1, Laurent Grandin, president of Interfel, the interprofession of the trades of the sector of fresh fruits and vegetables, explains why certain products saw their prices increase appreciably since the beginning of confinement.
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"Traditionally, we have two kinds of products", begins Laurent Grandin: so-called storable products (root vegetables, carrots, turnips, apples ...) and non-storable products. The first "have not moved at all in terms of price," says the president of Interfel. But for the second group, it's a different story. "At this time of year, France is not self-sufficient for all 'ratatouille' products or products like strawberries".
"We rely more on national production"
To this lack of independence is added the end of trade with the countries of the south and in particular the arrival of workers in the fields. To the point that Didier Guillaume, the Minister of Agriculture, asked on March 24 for people without activity to join "the great army of agriculture". "It is clear that we rely more on national production", continues Laurent Grandin "And this national production, structurally, because of production costs", pushes for mechanical price increases.
Another reason for this increase is the cost of transport, a sector which also suffers from confinement. "They are impacted like everyone else by a series of factors, which mean that today there is greater pressure (...). So the overall costs are necessarily amortized on traffic", explains at the microphone of Europe 1 Laurent Grandin.
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"There are more expensive products, but like every year"
However, this increase in prices observed is not that exceptional, according to Laurent Grandin. "At that time, there was a price movement linked to a classic impact of the weather-sensitivity of our products", he explains, taking the example of tomatoes, whose price is comparable to that of other years at the same time. "There are more expensive products, but like every year. We are in periods of seasonal transfer and there are always significant variations in product prices", summarizes Laurent Grandin.
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If, in a supermarket, the price increases on the receipt, the price increase will not go into the pocket of the big brands, assures Laurent Grandin. "The distribution is fairly well done in terms of the sector," explains the boss of Interfel, which represents 15 professional organizations and 90% of the marketing of the products concerned.
"We ensure that there is a fair distribution of added value"
"We have an ongoing dialogue at the moment and we are ensuring that there is a fair distribution of the added value," he explains, recalling the importance of fruits and vegetables. "It is an issue of food balance and public health and we ensure sufficient accessibility of our products, especially in this period of confinement where this food balance is decisive for maintaining good health".