Shortly before 11 a.m., hundreds of eggs were thrown at the windows of the building by these producers, who came mainly from the West of France.

Like Romain and Thomas, producers on a family farm in Somloire, Maine-et-Loire.

"We came to ask Carrefour for a price increase, we have experienced a drop in income since we started in 2010", explain the two brothers, who notably have 80,000 laying hens and produce 550,000 eggs per week.

According to the trade unions in the sector, egg producers are faced with a "sharp increase" in production costs caused in particular by "the continuous rise in the price of the raw materials composing the feed for laying hens".

"There has been an increase (in the price) of raw materials since last summer, not to mention the production costs of energy", also launches Emmanuel, at the head of a breeding of 42,000 laying hens including 12,000 organic, in the Deux-Sèvres.

Producers are asking for an increase of two euro cents per egg and five cents for organic.

They also denounce "the total non-compliance with the Egalim 2 law" by distributors, explain the CFA, the Union of groups of meat producers in Brittany (UGPVB) and the FRSEA Bretagne.

And they believe that Carrefour is the most reluctant brand to integrate these cost increases, which is why it was targeted on Friday.

"Vital to raise prices"

Carrefour received a delegation of these producers on Friday during a meeting in a "very cordial atmosphere", according to the group.

The distributor says it has "committed to a price increase and automatic quarterly indexation of the Itavi index", recognized by the sector and which measures the cost of the raw materials needed to feed the poultry.

Nuance however, the producers want to take as a reference base the Itavi index of August 2020, when the price of raw materials began to climb, but the representatives of Carrefour "do not tell us what date is taken into account to measure the 'increase,' the producers said after the meeting.

A demonstrator throws eggs at the facade of the headquarters of the Carrefour group during a gathering of egg producers on February 11, 2022 in Massy, ​​Essonne ALAIN JOCARD AFP

In any case, the Egalim 2 law "is strictly applied" by Carrefour, the group told AFP.

This law, adopted urgently by the government at the end of 2021, is supposed in particular to exclude from the game of negotiations between large retailers and manufacturers, the share going to farmers.

For several weeks, trade negotiations have been very tense between the food industry and supermarkets.

Large groups like Danone, Fleury Michon or McCain, SMEs, all are in the process of negotiating with the supermarket purchasing centers the prices at which their production will be purchased.

The deadline for these negotiations is March 1.

"It is vital to raise prices because without this revaluation, we will not be able to get through the year 2022", estimates Frédéric Chartier, president of the egg section of the UGPVB and producer in the Côtes-d'Armor.

© 2022 AFP