In protest at the continuing losses suffered by apple producers in France, growers in Bordeaux plan to distribute more than 5 tonnes of apples today at Place de la Comédie to mark the start of the annual congress of the FNPF, France's national federation of fruit producers.
The action is supported by the FRSEA (Regional Federation of Farmers' Trade Unions) and the Young Farmers Union.
Apples are the main item produced in the southwest French region, particularly in Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne, and growers are continuing to struggle, according to François Lafitte of the FRSEA.
'The situation isn't improving,' he told SudOuest.com. 'Since last August, we are seeing losses of €0.15-0.20 a kilo, depending on the variety. Producers are selling below the cost of production, which is around €0.80. In retail outlets, they fetch around €2 a kilo for first-class fruit.'
Mr Lafitte said that the aid package offered by the state was insufficient. He also stated that something needed to be done to clear up the distortions in competition caused by differing labour costs between European countries.
'The difficulty is how to remedy the situation,' he said. 'We are not saying that the Smic `minimum wage` should drop to €6 an hour. `...` What we want is an alignment of the production conditions in Europe, including phytosanitary products, since some European countries continue to use products that French producers no longer have access to.'
