Three questions about the mustard shortage affecting France (and the world)

It’s so rare you’d think it was small pots of gold. In recent weeks, it has become almost impossible to find mustard on supermarket shelves. And when there are, you have to hang on to your wallet: the price of packaged mustard has increased by nearly 14% in one year, according to the research institute specializing in market research IRI. But what is the cause of this pandemic? And will it soon be resolved? Franceinfo answers you.

What is the shortage of mustard due to?

Contrary to what one might think, France is no longer a major producer of mustard seeds: 80% of those used in our country come from Canada, the world’s leading exporter in this field, recall Les Echos (article reserved for subscribers)in a survey dedicated to the current shortage.

However, in recent years, the country “significantly reduced his mustard seed fields in favor of wheat, which was more profitable”explained at the beginning of July at franceinfo Lionel Maugainfrom the magazine 60 Million consumers. Added to this is “a catastrophic harvest in 2021 due to a drought”, recalls the latter. Canadian production therefore fell by half in 2021-2022, to 50,000 tonnes of seeds, according to a document. (PDF) from the Canadian Department of Agriculture dating from April.

As for the other major exporters of mustard seed…these are Russia and Ukraine. But the war between the two countries excludes any export for the moment. Finally, French production suffered from a devastating insect, the “large flea beetle”, to the great displeasure of farmers. They assure that we must see the consequences of the ban on the spreading of pesticides since 2019.

Isn’t it organized by the brands, as a video suggests?

A video shared several thousand times on social networks claims to denounce the sham of the mustard shortage. It shows entire pallets of mustard jars stored in what looks like a warehouse. A man, whose voice we only hear, explains while filming these pallets that he “work in transportation” and “delivers to Carrefour stores”.

As franceinfo had already demonstrated, this video is partly “fake news”: if the mustard pallets are real (but belong to Leclerc and not Carrefour), the interpretation that is made of their presence in large numbers is wrong. According to the manufacturer, it was a somewhat special order since four weeks of orders had been grouped into a single delivery. For his part, Leclerc explains that he “It is not surprising that several pallets find themselves in transit very occasionally on a platform while waiting for their dispatch”.

When can we expect a return to normal?

“The impact of the seed shortage is major”, ensures Unilever, the leading mustard producer, close to Echoes. She “will be felt throughout the year: we will miss more than a third of our mustard seed needs to ensure our 2022 production volumes”. However, the company hopes “find the usual supplies upon receipt of the next seed harvest in October 2022”.

Same analysis by the Canadian Department of Agriculture, which estimates that in 2022-2023, “growers will respond to high market prices by maximizing seeded acreage”which should allow “a return to trend or slightly below trend returns”.

In the meantime, “French production will not be able to meet national demand”, warns Marc Désarménien, Managing Director of the Fallot mustard factory, in The echoes. It will therefore be necessary to arm yourself with a little patience for the coming months. Until thenthe Marmiton cooking recipe site offers you six alternatives to mustard: tahini (sesame puree), yogurt, shallot, horseradish, wasabi, worcestershire sauce.