Cauliflower crisis: “If everyone puts one on their New Year’s Eve table, we are saved”

In gratin, roast or even in soup, there is no shortage of cauliflower recipes, but on the shelves, consumers are turning away a little from this winter vegetable. In this Intermarché in the 20th arrondissement in Paris, Malika observes it more closely, once she is alerted to the price. “1.59 euros per piece. It’s true that it’s not expensive. But my children, I’m not sure they eat it. And what I love most is the béchamel that goes with the gratin! » she said. Eventually, she will be tempted.

The promo, displayed on a simple A4 sheet, is less visible than Santa Claus and the decorations which adorn the onions. However, if you go shopping in the supermarket in the next few days, you will surely come across a special cauliflower operation. Indeed, the brands Auchan, Carrefour, Coopérative U, Intermarché and the Casino group “are mobilizing and calling for a helping hand from consumers. »

This vegetable is going through a crisis of overproduction. Marc Kéragueven, president of Prince de Bretagne-Cerafel, the association of producer organizations, is alarmed and explains the situation: “The abnormally mild temperatures are causing production to accelerate. Currently, we are harvesting what was planned for January. In one month, we therefore put two months of production on the shelves. And it’s the same in the UK. As for Germany, where we used to export, we face competition from Spain and Italy. »

Supporting producers through joint actions was one of the commitments made by major retail players at the start of the year to TV host Karine Le Marchand during the Agricultural Show.

“At the head of the gondola” on the shelves

Until now, when the France Agrimer organization issued an alert about a “cyclical crisis”, as it calls it, large retailers mobilized to sell off stocks. But the consumer, most of the time, was unaware of this. The France Agrimer alert dates from November 18. “We decided to activate this system because a new mild spell is announced for next week. What we have created is real coordination between all the distributors,” describes Bertrand Swiderski, CSR director of the Carrefour group.

“Concretely, we highlight the product and offer it more visibility. The cauliflowers are at the head of the gondola. This weekend alone, from Saturday to Monday, we ordered three times more, that represents 270 tonnes for Carrefour. It’s a bet. It’s not easy to sell so many,” assures Bertrand Swiderski.

A low price operation – less than 2 euros – which will certainly last beyond this weekend. Distributors committing to cutting back on their margins until the end of the alert.

“Today, there are families who will find themselves in poverty”

“Today, we are alerting the consumer because the entire sector is playing the game. But we must be aware that with these prices, we cover 50% of the production cost. Below 2 euros per cauliflower, we lose money. Our priority remains to sell off stocks. Next, we will talk about the real price of a vegetable. At 4 euros, the producer can live with dignity. Today, behind the crisis, there are families who will find themselves in poverty, it’s dramatic,” insists Marc Kéragueven.

A crisis which extends, according to the producer, to other vegetables, pumpkin and shallots in particular. “Cauliflower is full of vitamin C. If everyone puts one on their New Year’s Eve table, we’re saved,” he hopes, while recalling that it can replace flour in a chocolate cake.