In 2009, Rungis international wholesale market, located on the outskirts of Paris, saw a 3.5 per cent decrease in the volume of fruit and vegetables sold, to 823,585 tonnes, with fruits accounting for 433,746 tonnes (down 3.5 per cent) and vegetables representing 389,839 tonnes (down 5.3 per cent).
This slowdown has been attributed to the economic downturn, which encouraged something of a wait-and-see attitude among buyers, and the cold weather, which affected traffic at the outdoor markets.
According to Fld, homegrown fruits have fared far better than vegetables, increasing by 8.6 per cent while vegetables have fallen in volume by 9 per cent.
French apricots experienced an increase of 72.5 per cent, for example, with nectarines rising by 31.1 per cent. On the other hand, arrivals of asparagus fell by 25.5 per cent, mushrooms by 19 per cent and salads by 16.9 per cent.
As for imports, the situation was the reverse, Fld reported, with fruit volumes falling by 6.1 per cent and vegetables remaining stable.
Arrivals of bananas and grapes fell by 16.6 per cent and 24.9 per cent respectively, while volumes of carrots and mushrooms rose by 53.9 per cent and 21.4 per cent respectively.
