The shelves could be sparse for the end of year holidays. The recent floods in Spain, France's main supplier, seriously threaten the supply of this much-loved winter fruit.
The torrential rains which have been falling for a week in the south-east of Spain have had catastrophic consequences on the populations with more than 200 victims in the Valencia region. But this region is also one of the leading exporters of fruits and vegetables in Europe. With the floods, orchards and vegetable gardens are submerged, roads are cut, and the A-27 motorway was even submerged in mud after a landslide. No way for producers to go into their fields to see the extent of the damage or save what's left.
And these bad weather conditions have direct repercussions on French consumption because shortages are expected. Indeed, the consequences are not long in coming in French supermarkets. E.Leclerc and Coopérative U report significant disruptions.
The problem is twofold: on the one hand, the crops are flooded and the fruits, waterlogged, risk rotting on the vine. On the other hand, impassable roads considerably complicate the transportation of goods. At the Saint-Charles market in Perpignan, the main gateway for Spanish fruits and vegetables, concern is growing. Carriers can no longer take the usual routes and loads are rare.
This situation highlights France's strong dependence on its Iberian neighbor. Spain, the true “vegetable garden of Europe”, supplies France with a considerable share of its fruits and vegetables: 77% of zucchini, 84% of cucumbers, 76% of salad and a large part of citrus fruits. In 2021, Spanish agricultural and agri-food imports represented 9.1 billion euros, or 13.4% of French imports in the sector.
Among the products most affected by this crisis, clementine occupies a special place. And for good reason: this small citrus fruit is the fourth most consumed fruit in France, with an average of 4.2 kg per person per year. The current period, from November to January, usually corresponds to peak sales. A crucial period compromised by climatic events.
The outlook is particularly gloomy for this fruit so popular with the French. It is at this time that the clementines are picked from the tree and then placed in the ripening chamber. But with flooding, the fruit risks rotting. The impact on supply promises to be considerable: experts predict a 60% drop in arrivals of clementines in France for the coming months according to France Bleu, seriously threatening the presence of this traditional fruit on holiday tables. 'year.
