Summer turmoil in the fruit industry over here has had some unpredictable effects. Let's forget the tonnes of melons, peaches and nectarines dumped on the road or more harmfully to trade on supermarket shelves.

The general industry consensus is that this emanated from undisciplined producers who were pushed to extremes by a dreadful price situation and strong competition from imports.

Meanwhile the army of different unions met authorities in an attempt to find a solution to the crisis. The wholesale sector took a full part and boldly made proposals to safeguard its own activities. Government and producers' unions agreed on a fixed price mechanism for some of the most sensitive produce, such as tomatoes and salads, during August.

This temporary decision could help, but for wholesalers supplying school canteens or the hospitality sector it set a dangerous trap and possibly precedent.

Hospitality buyers refer to the official market price list published by the ministry of agriculture when placing their orders. But prices for tomatoes and salads were clearly below the fixed price line. We can imagine how commercial negotiations went in this context.

The wholesale union subsequently proposed a suspension of the publication of prices for some lines, just like a listed company facing too big a fall of its share price. The government agreed.

This measure maintained the price levels to some extent, although everybody wonders what the long-term effect of this will be, as the wholesale sector now can claim to be listened to by the authorities. In the same process, a long-standing measure forbidding price advertisement in supermarket catalogues was abolished, although some restrictions remain.

Nevertheless, there is agreement that the French industry can't avoid a painful audit at a time of global oversupply. Producers, wholesalers and retailers have to ask this everlasting question: should we produce for what can be consumed or should we consume what has been produced?

You guess the answer.

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