You probably recognise the scenario: you take some time off during the summer and when you come back, everything, or almost everything, has changed. This is what has happened to me this year.

During winter and spring, French fruit and vegetable producers fought for a fundamental restructure of the law to protect their interests, mainly through the recognised legislative channels thanks to heavy lobbying by their unions. They achieved some successes in the process.

In order to protect them, a system was installed called coefficient multiplicateur. This is very much a bureaucratic economic instrument, done a la française. In summary, it decrees that when fruit and vegetable retail prices fall too low a percentage is automatically added to the producers' price so they can be assured of a reasonable return for their work. Or so they say.

The bill was passed at the beginning of July. What happened next, however, caused many an eyebrow to move skywards. Though retail prices were heavily slashed in France, the major unions declined to ask for the system to be activated, saying it was not appropriate at the time. Which begs the question of why so much effort was expended in chasing the bill in the first place? Changes of mind (or are they mindgames?) are sometimes so puzzling.

On the other hand, some other things never really change, however long you go on holiday for. Producers in southern France complained, demonstrated and accused the industry interface - wholesalers, importers, distributors - of favouring imported fruit ahead of national products. They distributed fruit for free to the happy people on their holidays, raising retail ire in the process.

As you all know, this is nothing out of the ordinary on this side of the Channel. What is also the norm, unfortunately, is the recurring fall in consumption of fresh produce.

Despite low prices, research shows consumers have not been buying more peaches, nectarines or watermelons. The fact that lower prices do not necessarily bring higher sales is not new and in my opinion it's time for the whole French industry to work together and really think of alternative ways to straighten out the consumption dilemma.

Now that would definitely make a change.