A simple trip to the supermarket or a market is enough to realize it: tomatoes are expensive at the moment. To the great dismay of consumers who love them, each French person eats on average 10 kg of fresh tomatoes per year, according to a study of the Ministry of Agriculture. And with the return of the sun in March and April in many regions, the desire for a plate of mozzarella tomatoes is all the more felt.
“We notice an overall increase in retail prices of French tomatoes compared to last year,” confirms FranceAgriMer, the public establishment responsible for the agricultural and fishing sectors. During the week of April 9, a kilo of bulk French round tomatoes was sold at 4.62 euros in large and medium-sized supermarkets, compared to 3.57 euros at the same period last year, according to RNM data (Market News Network). Same observation for imported tomatoes, which represent around a third of consumption in France: a kilo of round bulk tomatoes from Morocco was sold on average for 5.08 euros per kilo the week of March 19 compared to 4.43 euros last year at the same period. Bulk round bunch tomatoes from Spain sold for 4.89 euros the week of April 9, compared to 3.23 euros a year earlier.
Insufficient supply compared to demand
A surge in prices which has several explanations. “The period of full production of tomatoes only occurs from the beginning of summer. In April, it is in the rising phase when demand is already strong. Furthermore, the foreseeable increase in energy costs, linked to the geopolitical context, will increase production costs in heated greenhouses, which can already have an impact on prices,” indicates Yann Le Cunff, market monitoring project manager at Tomates et cucumbers de France. For its part, FranceAgriMer indicates that from March, “the campaign is starting gradually, especially in Brittany, with a supply still insufficient in the face of very dynamic national demand. In the South-East, the late start and constrained yields keep prices high.” Concerning the beginning of April, the organization notes that “the French supply continues to increase, but it sometimes remains insufficient. »
Another element to take into account: the situation in Morocco. Bad weather damaged certain installations, weakening crops. “There were also phytosanitary problems, which led to a drop in yields and an increase in prices,” explains Yann Le Cunff. However, the situation should improve in the coming weeks. “Volumes of French tomatoes will gradually increase, which should help to rebalance prices,” he continues.
Leave a Reply