The prices of fruits and vegetables increased by 15% over one year in June. Blame it on imports hard hit by the coronavirus epidemic, but also bad weather which damaged crops. 

"It becomes a luxury to eat well." Farès has just done his fruit and vegetable shopping for the week in Paris, and this resident of the capital is adamant: the prices, in particular those of fruits, have increased significantly. "When you fill your cart, at the end, you can feel it. I think it must have increased by at least 10 euros for the week." The same goes for Habib, who buys his fruits and vegetables in the Paris suburbs. "Fruits that come from abroad are more expensive, mainly avocados," he notes.

>> Find the morning show of the day in replay and podcast here

These are not the isolated impressions of Ile-de-France consumers. In June, the prices of fruits and vegetables increased by almost 15% over one year. After a peak reached in April, a month in which prices were 30% above normal. At that time, it was the importation difficulties that weighed heavily. Since then, according to the Interfel network which represents around 90% of French production, the level of imports has returned to normal. But the effects of the health crisis, combined with the climatic effects, are not yet behind us.

Labor and climate issues

"We had the consequences of manpower and site organization problems with [measures of] distancing, even today, unusual in our activity", points out Laurent Grandin, president of Interfel. But he also noted, "especially in seasonal fruits, a fairly clear decrease in production". Concerning apricots, for example, "frosts which affected all stone fruits" resulted in a 50% drop compared to a normal harvest.

However, the inter-profession is reassuring: the return to normal is under way. She also recalls that for certain products such as tomatoes, salad and melon, prices are currently very low. What give you some ideas so that the note is less salty.