Very dependent on its neighbor for its imports of fruits and vegetables, France is spared, for the moment, by shortages, particularly of citrus fruits. Some professionals are still noticing supply difficulties, predicting price increases.
A week after the terrible floods which devastated the south-east of Spain, the country is still counting its deaths: at least 219 people were killed by the torrents of muddy water which swept through the regions of Valencia, Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha, while 93 others are still missing. On the ground, nearly 15,000 soldiers and police officers are deployed to help the population recover from this tragedy.
The government unveiled this Tuesday, November 6, an aid plan of 10.6 billion euros for the tens of thousands of affected residents and businesses. As in agriculture, a sector where the damage is impressive, particularly in citrus fields, of which the Valencia region is a major exporter. In total, 50,000 hectares of crops could be affected, including persimmons, oranges and tangerines, as well as vineyards and market gardens.
What are the losses?
While it is too early to know the exact amount of damage, agricultural losses are “catastrophic” and its consequences “incalculable”assures the Spanish agricultural union Asaja. “We are facing a catastrophe… Losses will number in the millions [d’euros]»agrees Ricardo Bayo, secretary of the Union of Small Producers of Valencia. Farmers will take stock as roads reopen and they can access their fields, which are currently impassable.
For its part, the Valencia Farmers' Association declared that the harvests of oranges, persimmons and tangerines would be lost. “Now the fruit will rot. Even trees can die because they have remained under water for thirty-six hours… With the heat, the humidity… The fungus will attack them too”a Spanish fruit producer told Reuters from his farm in the Valencian Community.
In the rice-growing region of Albufera – Spain is the second largest rice producer in Europe – the fields were also completely submerged by water, leaving only a few agricultural buildings and trees visible above the waves.
Why is France concerned?
Spain, known as the “orchard of Europe”, is the leading producer and exporter of fruit and vegetables in the European Union. France, very dependent on its southern neighbor for its supplies, for example imported 9.1 billion euros of Spanish agricultural and agri-food products in 2021, according to figures from the Ministry of the Economy. Spain thus supplies France with zucchini, cucumbers, artichokes, salads, but also citrus fruits, the season of which is just beginning. The Valencia region is also among the world's leading exporters of oranges.
As a direct consequence of this climatic disaster, supplies are taking longer on French shelves. As at the Saint-Charles market in Perpignan, one of the gateways for fruits and vegetables, then resold throughout Europe, explains France Bleu Roussillon. “Spanish carriers cannot take the direct highway to go back to Barcelona and deliver to France”according to the operator of a transport company interviewed by local radio. Indeed, the torrential rains caused a landslide on the A27, between Barcelona and Tarragona, in the north-east of Spain, part of which was completely buried.
Are there risks of shortages?
At the Rungis market of national interest, which supplies professionals from the entire Ile-de-France region, we assure that there is no “no shortages currently observed” on citrus fruits because the majority come from Corsica, Nice or Menton. However, “some wholesalers specializing in citrus fruits who source their supplies from Spain are encountering difficulties», especially with persimmons, oranges and clementines. “The impact is limited and supply routes are gradually reopening», nevertheless assures the market.
Distributors were initially concerned about possible shortages, such as Carrefour which warned its customers that“Due to bad weather in Spain, certain fruits and vegetables [pouvaient] temporarily missing from the shelves. A fear quickly swept away: “We had very little impact, we made this message preventively because some trucks transit through Spain”explains the mass distribution giant to Liberationand ensures that “Everything is back to normal.” As for Cooperative U (Super U, Hyper U, Utile), we do not wish to comment «l’absence [ponctuelle] of some references on the shelves », “anecdotal” faced with the dramatic consequences of the floods. The stores still specify that there are indeed “currently there are supply shortages for certain citrus fruits (clementines, lemons, etc.)”.
What about restaurants?
According to the National Group of Independent Hotels & Restaurants (GNI), wholesalers who supply restaurants expect a 30% drop in fruit and vegetable imports in the next two weeks, again on persimmons and citrus fruits, but also salads. “We will see more clearly at the end of November, both on the rise in prices – because there will be one – and on the duration of this inflation, which we estimate to be relatively short”specifies Laurent Fréchet, president of the catering branch of the GNI.
Because it all depends on the damage observed on agricultural operations. “If it is the production tools that are destroyed, it can be relatively quick to replace them. On the other hand, if it is the fruit trees that are affected, it will take years. explains Laurent Fréchet. If the shortages continue, the professional is counting on a reorganization of the sector with new suppliers, elsewhere in Spain or the Maghreb.
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