This year, the harvest was looking very good for the asparagus producers at Cestas, until Covid-19 happened. “We are not reaching our production peak. The quality of our asparagus is excellent, we have the workers to harvest them and we have invested a lot in new facilities in order to package them in the best possible conditions. However, we are faced with a major problem for our production. Indeed, restaurants are closed, markets are also closing progressively, and only supermarkets are left to sell our merchandise. Unfortunately, some of them know this and take advantage of it,” reports Thibaut Lebourg, asparagus producer.
“Supermarkets always want lower prices from us - very much below our production costs - in order to then sell them at shamefully high prices compared to the price we get. This year, we sold our beautiful asparagus at 4 €/kg (we should sell them at 5 €/kg) and we see those same asparagus sold at more than 14 €/kg in supermarkets. Our fridges are filling up and we also see some foreign merchandise arriving on the market.”
Thibaut explains that he has tried to develop other distribution channels, like online sales, wholesalers (in 2019, 45% of the sales), selling at the farm, and a drive-through. But today, all these channels are either closed or much slower than usual.
“We hear on the television that the harvests are compromised by a shortage of workers. But as far as we’re concerned, we have all the workers we need on our farm,” adds Thibaut. “The current conditions forced us to fire 20 people. It was a very difficult decision, but we must give up 40% of our production because we cannot manage to get paid at a decent price.”
Lebourg Negoce is certified HEV level 3, Global Gap, and is currently going through audits to be referenced Zero Pesticide Residue.
For more information:
Thibaut Lebourg
Lebourg Negoce SARL
Phone: +33 6 64 68 25 60
thibaut@lebourg-agri.fr
www.lebourg-agri.fr
www.instagram.com/groupe_lebourg/