French apple and pear growers have written an open letter to French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, setting out their wish list for the country’s new government, including action on wages costs, crop protection and increasing the amount of home-grown produce.
According to the French Apple Pear Association (ANPP), the sector provides more than 25,000 jobs and produces 1.5 million tonnes of fruit a year. It says, “Our apples contribute to our food sovereignty. They are also recognised for their export value, making a positive contribution to our balance of trade.”
However, the letter also warns that increasing labour costs could cripple the sector: ‘Unfortunately, budgetary constraints have led the government to make savings, and to preserve the purchasing power of the French. However, upon discovering the various options presented concerning exemptions from charges, and in particular that of the economists Bozio and Wasmer, we understand that the TODE (system of exemption from employer charges specific to the agricultural sector), which seemed to be a given for us, could be called into question. For the record, the vast majority of our employees are low-skilled and paid at minimum wage, while our wage costs are 1.5 to 4 times higher than those of our direct European competitors, bearing in mind that labour costs account for over 50% of the cost of producing our fruit.’
On crop protection, ANPP warns, ‘The laws regarding the availability and conditions of use of plant protection products, and access to water, is a major competitive disadvantage throughout the European Union… Everywhere else in Europe, our competitors still have acetamiprid for spraying until 2034, but it is inaccessible to us. And what about esfenvalerate, for which ANSES has just refused to renew the marketing authorisation, even though it is authorised everywhere else? Despite your predecessors’ promises of solutions, and your recent promises to limit the drift of standards, we see nothing being done to repair the errors of the past and avoid those to come.’
Faced with potential cuts to the French agricultural budget and the country’s Fruit and Vegetable Sovereignty Plan, the grower group concludes that, ‘There are many reasons to doubt the government’s willingness to contribute to the competitiveness of the sector.’
