French raspberry production is in full swing, but sales are not always living up to expectations. The reason for this is a sluggish market impacted by the summer holidays. "Raspberries are not a special case, as many other fruits and vegetables are currently affected by this lack of commercial dynamism. Trade is always quiet in August, while fruit and vegetables are often in abundance in the region. This delicate period used to run from July 14th to August 15th. Today, however, it starts at the end of June and ends on September 15th," explains Olivier Thomas, manager of La Ferme du Pont d'Achelles in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.
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Barely remunerative prices
Faced with this dip in sales, Olivier Thomas has adapted his production. "We start the season around the 20th of May and finish around the 10th of October. We have adapted our raspberry production to the reality of the market, with a production peak between May and June, thanks to techniques that enable us to regulate the harvest. As for prices, they are barely remunerative because of this sluggish demand and harvest volumes that are intensifying with the current heat."
Competition is too fierce
On the French market, there is a huge shortfall in domestic production. Raspberries are mainly imported from abroad. But the obstacles to developing production are clearly commercial. "In France, we are lucky to be able to produce everything, from north to south. But the problem is that we do not have the same legislation as our European neighbours, which makes us much less competitive. The price war waged by supermarkets is not helping either, as they try to satisfy consumers looking for cheap products. A Moroccan or Spanish raspberry is much cheaper than a French raspberry, but the latter is penalized by much higher labor costs."
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French raspberries: a guarantee of taste quality
However, despite the higher costs, French raspberries have a number of advantages over their competitors. "We work with old varieties, which are much tastier than the ones imported. As they are picked when ripe, they have to be eaten quickly and are difficult to export, but they offer a remarkable and really interesting taste. Consuming French raspberries also means supporting the French countryside, which is still very dependent on agriculture."
For more information:
Olivier Thomas and Françoise Thomas
La Ferme du Pont d'Achelles
Phone: +33(003 20 48 60 43
[email protected]
https://www.lafermedupontdachelles.fr
