In a context of “very high prices”, both in France and for export, Geoffrey Aumont, sales representative at Paris Ail at the Rungis MIN, takes stock of the current garlic market: “We have since observed For several years now, there has been a reduction in production areas in Spain, which is the largest producer of garlic in Europe. This decrease is due to climatic hazards which undermine production and impact yields, but also to the increase in insurance costs. But this lack of garlic in Europe is also caused by certain diseases which affect French and Spanish garlic seeds. All these factors partially explain the price levels that we reach today, which are, as far as Spanish origin is concerned, almost twice as high as those they were four or five years ago. We thought we had reached the peak, but prices continue to increase every 3-4 months. Even for Chinese garlic, usually 1 euro cheaper per kilo, the prices are almost identical. And regarding peeled garlic, this year we reached records in terms of prices.”
A lack of yield which risks preventing the supply of French garlic all year round
This 2024/2025 campaign seems to be shaping up in the same way as the previous one: poor weather conditions during the harvest impacted both yields and quality: “It is never good to harvest when it rains. This leads to diseases including Waxy Breackdown, responsible for a deterioration in the quality of garlic cloves which tend to discolor and dry out. Bad weather also had an impact on yields. Last year, some producers even suffered a loss of up to 80% in yield. And even if we have invested in a very efficient tool in terms of processing, storage and conservation of garlic in order to be able to meet the needs of our customers for French garlic 12 months out of 12, the lack of volumes threatens again this year continuity of supply throughout the year.
From trade to production
If today Paris Ail represents the largest producer of garlic in France, the company first developed in trade and export: “We started our activity as a distribution unit. One of our strengths lies in being established in Rungis, in the heart of the largest fresh produce market in the world. Over the years, we have invested in packing companies and land to become a producer. A choice which was motivated by the desire to gain credibility with our customers. Today, the company's garlic production house covers an area of 140 hectares. A production which has expanded in recent years with the aim of meeting a demand for French garlic all year round. And with our associated producers, we arrive at a total of 300 hectares, which corresponds to approximately 3,000 tonnes of garlic. Being a producer allows us to control the quality of our products from A to Z and to have impeccable traceability from the field to the shelf. Our customers also appreciate the great flexibility we demonstrate when it comes to packaging and labeling. We are able to adapt to all requests by offering a wide choice of packaging, ranging from braid, basket, bunch or bags. A necessity when we export, knowing that each country has its specificities. In addition to our own production, we also have a trading activity in order to meet the needs of each of our customers.”
For more information:
Geoffrey Aumont
Paris Garlic
26 Avenue de Lorraine
CP 70112
94512 Rungis Cedex, France
Tel: +33 156 702 702
[email protected]
