We feared a rise in the prices of fruits and vegetables after the late frost episode that France experienced last April, this will not be the case.
Aside from cherries, “prices fell by -8% overall between June 2020 and June 2021 (-4% for fruits and -11.5% for vegetables)”, according to Rural Families.
"After a year 2020, a record in terms of price, most of the products in our basket are returning to values close to those recorded in 2019", reports the association for the defense of consumers in a press kit published on Friday, ie prices of 'before the Covid crisis.
To read also "We lost a whole year of work": the distraught farmers faced with the frost episode
In detail, the prices of organic fruits have fallen by 5% overall, those of conventional by 3%.
Apricots - which also suffered from frost - and apples experienced a marked increase in conventional products (+ 18% and + 9% respectively).
Conversely, the melon fell by 21%.
As for vegetables, organic products have fallen by 5%, conventional by 18%.
A "fruit and vegetable" check for the most modest
Rural families carried out 111 price surveys from June 15 to 30 in hypermarkets, supermarkets, hard discount stores and organic brands, via a team of 83 “consumption watchers” in 38 departments. Its calculation is based on a basket of eight fruits (apple, melon, apricot, strawberry, peach, banana, lemon, watermelon) and ten vegetables (eggplant, carrot, zucchini, green bean, lettuce, green pepper, potato, tomato cluster, cucumber, yellow onion).
Faced with certain prices which "reach peaks" and the constraints of purchasing power, the association suggests favoring products "which remain accessible to the greatest number" (carrots, zucchini, bananas, cucumbers ...) and not "especially not give up on a healthy diet ”. It also calls on the public authorities to introduce a “fruit and vegetable” check for the most modest.
