French companies and market gardeners are faced with the general rise in packaging production costs as well as the surge in transport costs.. Reunion Island is not spared from the phenomenon.
When the salad harvest campaign began in France, in the month of June, French ready-to-use fresh fruit and vegetable companies, united within the Union of manufacturers of fresh ready-to-use vegetable products (SVFPE), have sounded the alarm in the face of the general rise in their production costs. Created in 1986, the SVFPE brings together the main manufacturers of pre-cut and packaged raw vegetables, without seasoning, the main activity being the production of salads sold in bags. While they had managed to maintain their processing activities to continue providing fresh products even at the height of the health crisis, these companies are now in an untenable situation. They are faced with record increases in the costs of their packaging, plastic (on average between 10% and 60% depending on the plastics) and cardboard (on average between 10% and 20%), as well as the soaring prices linked to transport. These additional costs come on top of the heavy investments that the upstream and downstream sectors are making for the circular economy and the agroecological transition., particularly in organic farming, reduction of phytosanitary products and adaptation to climate change.
The future of French market gardening in question ?
With these significant additional costs, Added to this is the financial impact of the drop in volumes on the out-of-home catering segment during the health crisis, circuit which represents 30% of the sector’s outlets. Ready-to-use fresh fruit and vegetable companies are indeed very attached to local sourcing and favor French market gardeners for the purchase of their fruit and vegetables.. More than 60% of ready-to-use salads offered in France are already grown on national soil, and SVFPE companies are now setting themselves the objective of increasing to 75%. " In France, the ready-to-use salad sector today concerns more than 3,500 jobs between market gardening and ten production sites spread throughout the country. The number of market gardeners is reducing each year and it is necessary to reverse the trend by offering a perspective for local producers, offering better control of sanitary quality, varietal, nutritional and environmental aspects of products. The fair valuation of ready-to-use fresh fruits and vegetables must make it possible to really act in favor of the sustainability of market gardening in France and French production” believes the SVFPE, which represents 90% of volumes sold on the market and 95% of its turnover.
