While the tomato market did really well in the spring, it was subject to a lot of pressure during the summer period. Increase in production costs, the impact of the heatwaves on volumes and crop management, as well as unreliable consumption levels.
“The month of August was difficult, with a production that has been fluctuating since the beginning of summer. Greenhouse producers are suffering greatly from the increase in the cost of inputs and energy, which adds to the pressure on the valorization of the product. The market is quite sluggish despite the good weather conditions for consumption,” explains Gilles Bertrandisas, general director of Paysans de Rougeline.
This already complex situation is even more delicate because of the lack of coherence between shipping and retail prices. “This need for coherence is even more marked due to the significant volumes currently available. Obviously, many factors influence the balance of a market. But it is very difficult to boost the market when there is such a gap between the price at which we sell our tomatoes and the price practiced by our clients. For example, the retail prices for ribbed and elongated heart tomatoes are between 4 and 6 euros/kg [4 and 6 USD/kg], which is much higher than our shipping prices. Besides, these high retail prices do not encourage consumers, although the weather has been really good for consumption. Defending the purchasing power of the French deserves concrete actions on price policies rather than media statements. This situation is causing real exasperation among producers, who already feel stifled by the increase in costs and struggle to sell their products at decent prices at the moment.”
For more information:
Gilles Bertrandias
Les Paysans de Rougeline
Chemin de Cazeaux
47213 Marmande cedex
Phone: +33 (0)5 53 20 51 50
g.bertrandias@rougeline.com
www.rougeline.com