In response to the Russian import ban, retailers are also taking action by focussing more on local produce. They're working hard to support local growers. Jan Pollier of Carrefour says: "All our customers are aware of the difficulties our vegetable, and fruit sector in particular, will have to deal with in the coming months, and demand for Belgian top fruit is increasing."
Season not yet in full swing
"The season hasn't started completely yet, however, this isn't really mentioned in various media, and that can cause the momentum to be over when all varieties are available with their respective volumes. Regarding current sales, since last week we've been selling the Corina pears, which have seen good sales indeed. It's hard to make a comparison with last year, however, because we didn't start so early then."
Talks
"In order to support the sector, we as Carrefour Belgium are offering an even wider range of top fruit, and undertake concrete actions to be able to purchase higher volumes. In this context, talks are planned with the auctions and producers involved. Regarding the consumer prices, we presume that the current deflation will continue longer due to the Russian decision, for a number of product families. In any case, we will privilege the Belgian products even more than usual," he concludes.
Pearfies
Last week, the Belgians started an initiative to support their pear growers. The Belgians are calling on their compatriots to eat more Belgian pears. On the internet, for instance on Twitter, more and more so-called pearfies are appearing. Every Belgian would have to eat about one pear per week extra, to compensate the loss of Russian exports.