Vegetable prices are difficult to manage at the moment as they go up and down like a yo-yo. Leeks, for example, reached their peak price mid last week. Frost caused the production to slow down, but not the demand, so prices increased. However, they increased too much as consumers were put off by the prices- this led to a decrease in sales and high stock now with wholesalers. The remaining stock could, however, be sold at cut prices for consumers.
Jean-Maurice Foucher produces vegetables in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. With 4,000 tons of traditionally and organically (10%) farmed vegetables per year over 100 hectares, the agricultural development company, Foucher, is the largest in the region. The family-run company is made up of the father, Jean-Maurice Foucher, his wife, Régine and their two sons Michael and Nicolas.
The Fouchers explain that leeks are the star vegetable over the winter. “We chose this vegetable 20 or so years ago in order to produce vegetables and keep our personnel employed over 12 months”. However, leek production is difficult to manage due to it’s seasonality and it is a risky production - like a winter version of melons.
They explain that “With frost, we cannot remove leeks from the ground, it is as hard as concrete : it would break the machines. Also, they are harder to peel.” Normandy had minimal frost this year and their competition could supply the market demand. “Over the last five years, there have been one or two where we were not payed for the leeks. The other years have see-sawed” concludes Jean-Maurice Foucher with a smile, “We cannot control it. We have two bosses - the weather and the consumer.”
