Benjamin Peter (in Moissac), edited by Solène Leroux 06:20, February 27, 2022

In the organic apple sector, the supply is such that prices are collapsing.

It was bought at 80 cents from producers four years ago, and the price has since been halved.

The consequence of too many organic conversions and increasingly demanding distributors that risk jeopardizing the future of some farms.

Is the organic market reaching saturation point?

It has been four years since Françoise Roch converted part of her apple farm to organic.

She, who owns twenty hectares of apple trees, chose to convert 10% into agriculture, to learn new techniques and for the financial attraction that this represented.

A way of thinking about the future of its organic farm located in Moissac in the Tarn-et-Garonne.

"In conventional, we have less and less interesting economic results in apples", explains Françoise.

"At the time, we were at 80 cents for an organic apple and even up to 90 cents depending on the variety, for a conventional around 40 cents", she explains at the microphone of Europe 1.

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Market saturation

"It made me want to go. Even with the difficulties associated with the conversion, I thought to myself that we should be able to get by and I didn't feel like I was taking any risks. The problem is that many of us have had the same reflex, at the same time", continues Françoise Roch.

Driven by these attractions, many arboriculturists have also chosen to go organic.

This saturated the market.

"We have more and more conversions on apple orchards, and for two years we have had a lot of trouble selling," she admits.

"There is very little demand compared to supply. The consumer would like organic, but in his act of purchase he does not do it. And if it is punctual, it does not allow to set up a sector safe for the producer. So it's falling apart."

She thus notes that the price of organic apples is now approaching that of conventional apples at around 40 cents, which could endanger many farms.

"If we buy organic at the price of conventional, that means that many producers are going to stop, it has to be," she warns.

"I leave myself two or three more campaigns"

It also notes that distributors' requirements are no longer the same.

"Until now, almost all the fruit was sold because the consumer knows that the organic product is not perfect from an aesthetic point of view", specifies Françoise Roch.

"Now, as the supply is much greater than the demand, supermarkets and supermarkets are beginning to ask for the aesthetics of the conventional. Except that in organic we have natural treatment products: copper, sulfur and others than we put on our trees and which damage the epidermis. It looks less pretty. And we are starting to be refused more and more fruit."

Apples that end up in industrial processing circuits that are much less profitable for fruit growers.

She doesn't regret her conversion, but isn't sure she can continue for long.

"I leave myself two or three more campaigns," she admits.

"If it's really not good, I will ask myself questions".

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Except that this step back may be difficult since producers have planted specific varieties, created by the National Institute of Agronomic Research such as Dalinettes and Juliettes which are more resistant to diseases.

"When we go back to the conventional, these are varieties that are not known and there is not really a market," she explains.

"We would have to over-graft, that is to say cut the organic variety, graft another conventional variety. And then we would lose two years while the tree regains its volume and its load."