The fruit and vegetable pavilion.

Visit of the Rungis International Market.

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MEIGNEUX ROMUALD / SIPA

The 2020 vintage will have been, despite the health crisis and the fears raised by Brexit, a “very, very good year” for the Rungis market, the largest wholesale market in Europe, its president Stéphane Layani said on Wednesday.

“It has been a very, very good year, the market is doing well, the market is very resilient, we have adapted to the two confinements.

In the first, it was a bit hard, in the second we adapted very well, ”said Stéphane Layani on the Europe 1 antenna.

"We're going to have a fantastic Christmas"

“There is no business liquidation this year, and two out of three businesses have volumes up or equal to last year, so in fact we're going to have a fantastic Christmas, it's all the buzz and we awaits all of our customers with great pleasure, because the French will not want to ignore Christmas, ”he added.

Referring to "the financial and psychological distress of restaurateurs" who remain closed to try to stem the pandemic, Stéphane Layani put into perspective the impact of this data on the smooth running of Rungis: "it is 13% of our customers, this 'is not the bulk of our turnover ”.

"We must never forget that what is not eaten somewhere is eaten elsewhere and clearly, there has been a game of communicating vessels," he added, indicating that the market had helped companies more dependent on catering, with a solidarity fund of 4 million euros, a solidarity effort that will continue in 2021.

"It's a complicated year, it's a year in fits and starts, it's a year of closures, but each time we have reopened, especially non-essential businesses, there have been rebound effects », Said Stéphane Layani.

What consequences of Brexit?

Regarding Brexit, “there is an impact” on trade with the United Kingdom, which represents 100 million euros in turnover per year, recognized Stéphane Layani, “but we are adapting”, a- he assured.

"Of course, there will be customs duties, of course, it will not be as fluid, but we are not going to stop all trade, all relations with Great Britain", the leading export country in the agrifood sector, said continued the boss of Rungis, saying to himself "sure that there will be an agreement at the end".

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  • Rungis

  • Consumption

  • Food

  • Society

  • Purchasing power

  • Household consumption