It’s a grumbling that wins a whole industry. The words of Michel-Edouard Leclerc, who announced the freezing of the price of baguette bread at 29 cents, definitely did not pass with the profession. “this will turn off the light in all the villages” is alarmed Eric Blancho, president of the federation of bakers of Morbihan, guest of France Bleu Armorique this Friday.
29 cents on the baguette, it’s still a big gesture for the purchasing power that Michel-Edouard Leclerc makes us. Not happy?
This gentleman is accustomed to brilliance to safeguard the purchasing power of the French, while there are products that he sells differently and that he makes margins on them. Today, we don’t want a margin on products, but how do we live, how do we pay our employees? We are already in shortage of bakers, employees, I have mayors of municipalities who ask me to find bakers to be able to settle, this gentleman, with the baguette at 29 centimes, will turn off the lights in all the town centres, in all the small towns, in all the villages.
What you are telling us is that Leclerc is not playing the game. However, he is showing commitments by saying “We want better remuneration for producers”.
The wheat sector and the flour sector, from the producer, the cereal farmer, to the miller and the baker, you don’t make bread like that by snapping your fingers. There is a certain respect for nature, for the culture of making flour, for making bread. On a fermentation, you have to have quality products at the base, if we don’t have quality products, we do nothing.
Do you really fear direct consequences for small brands close to large Leclerc centers?
But it’s not close, the whole sector will be impacted! Over four months, you’re going to tell me that’s not a big deal, but if a baker makes 400 baguettes, and only sells 200… There are loans to be paid like everyone else. It is a false story of the purchasing power of the French.
So what is the fair price of a wand for you?
Bakers sell their baguette for between 90 cents and one euro. Today, we have responsibilities, we are not just a baker, we are a business leader today, so we have margins to respect and we must respect them. We don’t want to live like other professions, state aid. State aid is our taxpayer who pays.