Diary of a farmer: “people always decide their budget on food” – 12/23/2024 at 4:56 p.m.

Jérôme Caze, 37, married and father of three children, at the head of a market gardening and chicken and pig breeding operation in Lot-et-Garonne, has been telling AFP about his daily life as a “small farmer” since October. ” in a peasant world prey to recurring crises.

In this third episode, this operator, established for six years in direct sales, who “puts everything on quality”, shares his view, sometimes tinged with incomprehension, on consumers and their expectations.

– Priority –

“We are approaching Christmas, sales are reducing. People are saving money for New Year's Eve, to buy nice gifts, chocolates. They will come back to see me in January, to look for fennel and quality products for limit liver crisis.

At the moment, the maximum basket at the market is 30 euros, never a euro more.

The customer is more demanding in direct sales than in the supermarket: for example, you are expected to do the rounding, which is never asked of the cashier. Of the five cents that I offer to everyone, by charging 12 euros instead of 12.05 for example, it is in fact a little of my salary that I give. But very few thank me for it.

Everyone has their budget and when there are financial difficulties, people always choose food. This year, we sold three times fewer strawberries, even though we made them at the same price as in 2015. We feel that we are depriving ourselves a little… to be able to buy other products which have seriously + margin+, like telephones.

During Covid, the farms here joined forces and converted into Drives to feed people but as soon as the supermarkets reopened, everyone went back to Leclerc. It was very clear, the world has not changed.

Thirty years ago, the priority was still to eat well. It got a little lost. Today, to celebrate a little one's birthday, you will be invited to the cake at 4 p.m. rather than to a big feast, from noon to 6 p.m., with all the family and friends.”

– Twingo, Mercedes and tomatoes –

“The priority now is holidays with Ryanair, telephones or Netflix subscription.

I'm not casting stones, everyone makes choices, me first and foremost, but we can take it as a lack of recognition, over time, of our efforts and the care we give to our products.

Farmer Jérôme Caze, who operates a market garden farm, chicken and pig breeding, feeds his pigs in Meilhan-sur-Garonne, October 3, 2024 in Lot-et-Garonne (AFP / Thibaud MORITZ)

The difference between a Twingo and a Mercedes, people understand it and accept the price difference on the label, but never for a quality tomato compared to a standard tomato…

In a short circuit, you can hardly get by if you focus on volume and if you enter into the game of price competition.

We focus everything on quality: we start from the principle that to sell, our customers must be well informed and well advised, including passing vacationers.

The objective is not to sell for the sake of selling, but to build a reputation so that it comes back. We always explain that our chickens run outside for more than 90 days, that they are corn-fed and well-treated. The same goes for vegetables, which we grow without pesticides.”

– “Shareholders” –

“There will always be suspicious people, who stop in their tracks if there is no organic mention and do not try to listen to our explanations on our methods, which we consider just as healthy… but in the Together, we build customer loyalty.

Chickens in a field on the farm of farmer Jérôme Caze, in Meilhan-sur-Garonne, October 24, 2024 in Lot-et-Garonne (AFP / Thibaud MORITZ)

They never look at the price and ask you questions: “So, have the chicks arrived?” Some even suggest you invest in a processing lab, almost like shareholders would do (laughs). We have around fifty but we would need twice as many to get paid.

So we are also targeting businesses, school canteens and to find a regulating valve and avoid overproduction, I would like to develop sales on the Internet.”

Comments collected by Karine ALBERTAZZI and Thomas SAINT-CRICQ