From vegetables to eggs and fish, some twenty agri-food sectors are calling on the State for help in the face of soaring energy prices, worrying about the lack of a plan "
up to
of the crisis and distortions of competition within the EU.
"
Without a cap on gas and electricity prices, a very large part of our companies will not be able to ensure the maintenance of the agricultural and food chains
", warned Wednesday in a letter 25 of the main French interprofessions (Intercéreales, Inaporc, seed, etc.)
These sectors, which bring together farmers, manufacturers and sometimes distributors from one end of the food chain to the other, have been alarmed for several weeks at the "
exorbitant
" energy costs.
The processing of beets into sugar or the storage of certain fruits and vegetables, for example, are particularly energy intensive.
In addition, a number of companies are coming to the end of their electricity contracts, and have to subscribe to new offers with prices that have skyrocketed.
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The State has proposed several devices to deal with this outbreak, including an “
electricity shock absorber
”, which provides for the payment of part of the 2023 energy bills of VSEs/SMEs.
Not enough, according to the signatories of this press release, who castigate
the “failure
” of European negotiations to agree on a tariff shield, which would have made it possible to avoid distortions of competition.
"
Many of our companies buy (electricity) at prices above 500 euros/megawatt hour on the French market
", when Germany, for example, has set a cap at 130 euros per megawatt hour, they denounce.
According to these interprofessions, including that of poultry or potatoes, this gap jeopardizes the “
competitiveness of French products
”.
"
Our companies could not survive at significantly higher energy prices (over 180 euros per megawatt hour) than those of our European counterparts
", they point out.
If they are unable to limit or pass on, at least in part, the surge in their production costs, the agri-food industries "
will have no choice but to rationalize their ranges and/or drastically reduce their activities, or even stop them permanently
.
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