“If we exaggerated on the level of the price, (…) we would lose volumes”, “the consumer is the justice of the peace”, adds Thursday on franceinfo Jean-Philippe André, president of the National Association of food industries.
“It’s a little music that becomes quite unbearable”reacts Thursday, May 11 on franceinfo Jean-Philippe André, president of the National Association of Food Industries, faced with accusations of “crisis profiteers” while food inflation has exploded since last year in France.
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The president of Ania defends himself in particular by highlighting the figures of the General Inspectorate of Finance, namely “the highest authority in terms of the credibility of figures”. “She says what? Between 2019 and 2022, fortunately, the margins of farmers have been restored by 27%, the margins of distribution over the same period by + 9%, the food industry is at + 1%”he lists, emphasizing “that there is no picture”. “It’s not abnormal, we simply have the same level of margin”he said, indicating “that there should be no debate on profiteers”.
No price drop for several weeks
According to Jean-Philippe André, members of Ania would have no interest in practicing this type of method. “Most have local, regional, national brands. If we exaggerated, I’m really conditional, on the price level: we would completely disconnect from distributor brands, we would lose volumes”he confides, recalling “that the consumer is not stupid”.
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Distributors and industrialists are invited to return to the negotiating table in order to renegotiate the prices of certain products, the world prices of several raw materials starting to fall. The president of Ania is not against it, “if there are falling commodity prices: yes”.
But Jean-Philippe André specifies that it will take a few weeks before being reflected in the carts of the French. “There is an operational reality of the business: when you have in stock, what are called purchase hedges, a product that you bought a few months ago whose value was 100 for example, and if indeed your world price has dropped to 80, you have to wait to restock at this cost of 80 to integrate it”he explains. “It will happen”but not before the end of the summer, he admits.
20% food inflation in Germany
As for the possibility, mentioned by Bercy, of tightening the rules in the event of absence “of effort” industrialists, the president of Ania “don’t see it as a very good idea”. “We are responsible, I want to affirm it loud and clear, and to ‘name and shame’ those we applauded for two years with the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, it will still be very contradictory. don’t need that in this country”he concludes, recalling that if food inflation in France is 15%, it is currently more than 20% in Germany. “It’s not just a French problem, you just have to manage to take on this situation”.