Emmanuel Macron goes to Burgundy on Tuesday to meet farmers.

With less than a week before the end of the annual price negotiations for the food industry, the president intends to bang his fist on the table so that supermarkets and manufacturers do not lower prices too much. 

A move to bang your fist on the table.

Emmanuel Macron is going to meet farmers this Tuesday in Burgundy, in Étaules, near Dijon.

The president must in particular visit a family farm, while the annual commercial negotiations are completed in less than a week.

These negotiations allow the entire agro-food sector to negotiate the prices that the products will display in supermarkets.

And the Head of State intends to call large distribution and industrialists to order for better remuneration of producers.

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Auchan, Leclerc, Casino and the other distributors support "hard" to lower prices

Because the discussions started last October were very tense this year, despite the Food Law promulgated at the end of 2018, which made it possible to give back a little weight to farmers in the negotiations.

In a tense context, supermarkets, suppliers and producers accuse each other of undermining these crucial negotiations.

But among these three players, only the first two are at the negotiating table.

Knowing who is lying is therefore complex.

But Bercy gives an element of answer and affirms that Auchan, Leclerc, Casino and the other distributors support "hard" to lower the prices.

This is reflected mechanically throughout the chain, at the end of which are the producers.

Market gardener in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Patrick Levêque thus denounces the greediness of mass distribution.

"While a salad costs at least 30 cents to produce, it sells for between 15 and 20 cents."

Same story with Thomas Chaulier, president of the Young Farmers of Bouches-du-Rhône and winegrower, whose vats of wine are full of unsold products.

But this already complex context has seen an additional difficulty this year: the Covid.

A pandemic that has completely reshuffled the cards of this annual negotiation.

"The negotiation is complex this year because we recognize that many industrialists row. And it is very difficult to negotiate with someone who row", confirms at the microphone of Europe 1 Michel-Edouard Leclerc.

These difficulties can be explained in particular by the closure of bars and restaurants and the shutdown of the events sector which caused demand to fall.

But that does not prevent large retailers from asking manufacturers to lower prices of around 1.33%, against 0.73% for the smallest groups.

"It is sometimes on the verge of racketeering"

"Some brands are very commercial, but with others it is sometimes on the verge of racketeering", tackle Luc Bayens, boss of the Cristaline water brand.

And if the word used by Luc Bayens is strong, it illustrates the level of tensions around the table.

An atmosphere that owes nothing to the Covid, since there is electricity in the air every year during these negotiations as explained at the microphone of Europe 1 David Garbous.

"The first time we participate, we can hardly believe it is so huge. These are very difficult times to live" explains the one who has already been around the table to represent Lesieur and Fleury Michon. 

"A form of role-playing is taking place. You put pressure on your interlocutor to make sure that he has to make a decision very quickly ... Techniques like this are used in a very skilful way. 'one side as the other to achieve the desired price, "adds David Garbous. 

A real price war that farmers are getting tired of, calling on both parties to take their responsibilities.

"The production costs are not respected by the large distribution but also by the industrialists who also have a share of responsibility", affirms Patrick Benezit, general secretary of the FNSEA, majority union in the agricultural profession.

And farmers experience this situation all the more badly when they see the results of mass distribution.

Carrefour, for example, experienced a record increase of nearly 8% in its global turnover compared to 2019 with 78 billion euros.

His best performance in 20 years. 

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Very tense situations, especially with respect to cold cuts

Still, for the consumer, the negotiations should be transparent.

If we are to believe the negotiations already completed for SMEs in the agri-food industry, prices should increase by 0.3%.

But for certain sectors, such as the beef and pork sector, the suspense remains unresolved.

Charcuterie is also the subject of intense negotiations.

This is even where the situation is most complex according to Bercy.

And for good reason, supermarkets had asked for a drop in prices of around 2%. 

It is therefore to avoid prices that are too low for farmers that Emmanuel Macron goes to the field to bang his fist on the table, before the end of the negotiations set for Sunday 11.59pm.