Agricultural sector by agricultural sector, France is losing ground, as evidenced by the FranceAgriMer study made public in December concerning fresh fruits and vegetables
While changes in government make any sustained reflection on the future of the agricultural sector difficult, a note published in December by FranceAgriMer draws up a dramatic assessment of the decline in the trade balance in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector, and has been doing so for more than twenty years.
Thus, between 2003 and 2023, French exports of temperate fruits – namely those adapted to our climatic zone (apple, pear, apricot, peach, nectarine, etc.) – decreased by 47% in volume. This decline is mainly due to the reduction in exports of the apple, pear and quince category, which saw a drop of 61% compared to 2003, or almost 500,000 tonnes, with a decline for exports to the United Kingdom of 58 %, towards Spain by 56% and by 63% towards Germany. The same goes for exports of stone fruits (peaches, apricots, etc.), which have decreased in volume by 49% in twenty years.
Imports of temperate fruits on the rise
Also worrying, French imports of temperate fruits increased over the same period by 25% in volume. FranceAgriMer observes that, even if it is clearly more marked for imports from third countries (+ 63%), this increase is also valid for those from the European Union (+ 12%). “ This results in a negative trade balance and a widening deficit. », explains France-AgriMer, emphasizing that the balance of trade with third countries, while it was positive until 2017, then became deficit, a trend which has only become more pronounced since.
In value terms, French imports of fresh temperate fruits more than doubled between 2003 and 2023 (+106%), while exports decreased by 5% compared to 2003. France's trade balance is negative and has been widening since 2004, reaching a deficit of 1.1 billion euros in 2023 », warns the public establishment, which points out that until 2003, France's trade balance in temperate fruits was still positive. Since 2014, this deficit has continued to widen, due to the increase in imports, mainly from five countries (in descending order, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Belgium and Turkey) which now represent 78% of French imports of temperate fruits.
French imports from Morocco have increased more than fivefold in twenty years (+422%) and today represent 15% of imports of fresh temperate fruits, while imports from Italy, a country now ahead of Morocco, were down 14% over the same period. As for Spain, it remains our leading exporter with a market share at a level equivalent to that of 2013.
Fresh vegetables: nothing is wrong!
Regarding trade in fresh vegetables, FranceAgriMer also notes a significant increase in the deficit for the period 2003 to 2023. “ France's trade balance is negative by 1.5 billion euros and its deficit has widened very sharply with the increase in imports from EU countries, then, more recently, with the increase in imports from third countries », deplores the public establishment, noting that, if between 2003 and 2023, French exports of fresh vegetables increased in volume by 26%, driven by the increase in exports to the EU (+ 32%), the volumes imported also increased (+28%). And if the increase is mainly marked for imports from third countries (+ 88%), imports from EU countries are also experiencing an increase, although more measured (+ 10%). For fresh vegetables, we find at the top of France's suppliers in volume, in descending order, the same five countries: Spain, Morocco, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy, which represent 87% of fresh vegetables. French imports of fresh vegetables.
« This study, which confirms that we import 40% of our vegetables and 60% of our fruits, highlights the risk of losing our production capacity in Europe. To avoid this catastrophe, it is necessary for our political leaders to mobilize to chart another route. », Comments for A&E Arnaud Rousseau, the president of the FNSEA. The upcoming debates in the Senate and the National Assembly on the bill aimed at “ to remove constraints on exercising the profession of farmer » could mark the first step.
