Paris (AFP)

Eating fruits and vegetables has been more expensive since the beginning of containment, especially since more French products are offered to consumers, assume representatives of farmers and large retailers.

Certain fruits and vegetables have increased by 9% on average since the start of containment, according to a study on Wednesday of the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, which raised prices in more than 4,600 drives.

According to his calculations, based on 17 categories and varieties of fruit and vegetables, the increase is 6% for conventional products and 12% for organic products "between the week of March 2 to 7 (2 weeks before confinement) and that of April 6 to 11 (4th week of confinement) ".

Some prices per kilo have even soared: + 23% for turnips, + 25% for organic grape tomatoes, reports UFC-Que-Choisir.

Faced with these figures, the sector ticks: "We are doing everything to maintain the accessibility of our products. It is estimated that there will be very marginal inflation for fruit and vegetables" in April, "less than 3%", said declared to AFP Laurent Grandin, president of the Interprofession Interfel.

He underlines that prices systematically increase between March and April, due to the change of season, and refutes any "spectacular rise in prices" this year despite additional costs for producers, due in particular to higher transport costs.

The increase is also explained by the evolution of the offer, with more French products on the shelves, argues the profession.

"Fruits and vegetables are more expensive because they are French fruits and vegetables," said Christiane Lambert, president of the first agricultural union FNSEA, on France Info, referring to "higher production costs" than elsewhere. . Today producers "sell their asparagus and strawberries at a remunerative price (...) that's good".

The rise in prices "is a false debate, quite frankly, these are bad controversies," said Jacques Creyssel, general delegate of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD), on BFM TV.

"It turns out that French strawberries are 70% to 100% more expensive than a Spanish strawberry, but it is much better. (...) So this is quite normal, a rise fully assumed to help French farmers, and I think we should on the contrary all congratulate ourselves on this orientation, "he insisted.

© 2020 AFP