Faced with the consequences of the frost episode that severely affected French farms last April, producers are organizing themselves to cope. According to the PDO Peaches and Apricots of France, the apricot orchards were the most affected by the frost. Some producers in the Rhône-Alpes region have reported losses of 80%. Most of the fruits that were spared show some defects in their appearance. In this context and in order to avoid losses, Intermarché and Netto have mobilized by buying less visually appealing yet equally tasty apricots from about 20 producers.
The apricots are not as beautiful but just as tasty
The apricot season is starting and producers are afraid not to be able to sell their entire production, as most of it was damaged by the frost. In order to support the sector, Intermarché and Netto have mobilized by buying apricots presenting some visual defects from 24 French producers in order to offer them the necessary output to get rid of their stocks. These apricots will be sold in all Intermarché and Netto stores throughout France in a packaging with information about this act of solidarity and at attractive prices. For this operation, the food stores of the Mousquetaires group are planning to buy 150 tons of apricots that were damaged by the frost.
© Mousquetaires
Contract renewal of 3 years
In parallel, and to give visibility to their partner producers who were victims of the frost, Intermarché and Netto are anticipating the situation by proposing, for those who want it, a renewal of their contracts for a duration of 3 years. “It is essential that retailers like Intermarché and Netto support French producers in times of crisis. With these concrete initiatives, we want to accompany them and help them through this difficult period. It is our role as a distributor. Some sectors are in great distress, especially fruit growers. The goal of these actions is to offer them the necessary outlets to sell part of their productions. We should renew this type of operation for other fruits in the coming weeks,” explains Stéphane de Fontenay, director of Intermarché in charge of agricultural relations.
For more information:
https://www.mousquetaires.com/
https://www.intermarche.com/
https://www.netto.fr/