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Summary of our market study
Every French person consumes around 25 kg of citrus fruit a year. Consumption is increasing in value by around 10% a year, but falling in volume by around 2-3%.
French citrus production is around 88,000 tonnes, and its value fluctuates between 750 and 1300 million euros. However, France is a major importer of citrus fruits, sourcing mainly from Spain, but also from Italy and Portugal.
The Low Countries are an important hub of European trade, especially for exotic fruits.
Oranges dominate consumer preferences in France, followed by clementines, mandarins, tangerines and lemons.
The organic citrus market has grown steadily, but growth has recently slowed
Corsica appears to be a key region for French citrus, particularly for clementines and pomelos.
Demand for citrus in France shows a clear seasonal pattern, with a significant peak of interest every December.
Players in the French citrus market:
- Regions such as PACA and Corsica in France have established themselves as citrus hotspots, specializing in clementines and lemons.
- Spain is a major exporter, particularly to France, which imports a substantial proportion of its citrus consumption.
- The Netherlands also plays an important role as a port, serving as a hub for citrus imports and re-exports in Europe.
- Supermarkets and fresh produce chains are the main market players
- The market is experiencing a steady increase in organic citrus production.
- Consumer confidence and seasonality have a considerable influence on purchasing behavior.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and presentation
Citrus fruits come from the Citrus family, which includes bergamot, lemon, lime, chinotto, mandarin, orange, grapefruit and clementine. Citrus fruits are a source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, all important for a varied, balanced diet. This is an important market in terms of size within the fruit market itself, as it includes some very popular fruits.
In France, most production is concentrated in the PACA and Corsica regions, which are prolific producers of clementines and lemons. Worldwide, citrus fruits are produced in over 140 countries, with China, Brazil and India leading the way.
France is not a major citrus producer and imports a large part of its consumption, notably from Spain.
After a drop in French production in 2019 due to weather conditions and insect-borne diseases, production growth resumed but slowed in 2022, as in many countries in the European Union and worldwide, due to higher input costs and weather conditions.
1.2 The global market
The twelve biggest citrus producers World, ****, in millions of tons FAOSTAT
China is by far the world leader in terms of citrus production, with ** million tonnes in ****. Brazil and India are also major producers, with **.** and **.** million tonnes respectively in ****.
World citrus market value World, ****-****, in billions of dollars FAOSTAT The ...
1.3 The French market
French citrus production France, ****-****, in thousands of tons FAOSTAT
In ****, citrus production in France saw a notable decline, mainly due to two major factors. Firstly, unfavorable weather conditions had a significant impact on crops. Late spring frosts damaged the blossoms and young fruit of citrus trees, reducing the expected harvest. ...
1.4 Balance of trade
Citrus market trade balance France, ****-****, in millions of dollars UNCOMTRADE
France's citrus trade balance is largely negative (***).
French citrus imports France, ****, in millions of dollars UNCOMTRADE Unsurprisingly, Spain is our main citrus supplier. Note: The Netherlands is neither an exporter nor a producer of citrus fruit. Their importance here is ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Typology of demand
Demand for citrus fruits breaks down as follows:
Wholesalers: Growers may sell their citrus fruit wholesale to food wholesalers. Wholesalers typically buy large quantities of citrus and then resell them to retailers, restaurants, hotels and other customers.
Retailers: Citrus is sold in supermarkets, grocery stores, local farmers' markets and other retail ...
2.2 Fruit consumption
Purchasing criteria for fresh fruit and vegetables France, ****, in percent Franceagrimer
The seasonality of the product seems to remain the main criterion for buying fresh fruit and vegetables for the French, with **%, although it is closely followed by provenance with **%. These are major issues for consumers, not least as a result ...
2.3 Citrus fruit consumption
To estimate citrus consumption in France, we perform the following calculation: Imports+production-exports
Trend in citrus consumption in France France, ****-****, in thousands of tons FAOSTAT and UNCOMTRADE
Citrus consumption is set to fall slightly over the ****-**** period, with a decrease of **,*** tonnes. At the same time, fruit consumption in ...
2.4 Organic
The most widely consumed organic products in France are fruit and vegetables. Citrus is no exception to the rule, and demand for organic citrus represents a fundamental element in French citrus demand.
Organic fruit consumption growth rates by year France, ****-****, in percent Agencebio
The rate of change in organic fruit ...
2.5 Demand cyclicality
Changes in interest in citrus research France, ****-**** google trends
Demand for citrus is particularly concentrated. Every year, there is a marked increase in searches at the end of the year in December . NB: the graph above represents the proportion of searches for a given keyword́ in a given region and ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Value chain
Source: ****
3.2 Production
How are citrus fruits grown?
Growing conditions: Citrus thrives mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, generally located between **° north and south latitude. China leads the way in terms of citrus production, followed by Brazil and the United States. Citrus requires specific climatic conditions for optimum yields. Temperature is a critical factor, ...
3.3 Distribution
The long circuit: This distribution channel involves several intermediaries, such as wholesalers or retailers, before reaching the end consumer. Supermarkets, for example, favor this channel. Advantages include wide geographic distribution, reduced storage and transport costs for the manufacturer, and a smaller sales force. However, the presence of intermediaries can reduce the ...
3.4 Corsican clementines and pomelos
Corsica has developed a strong tradition of citrus growing, with almost every residence owning citrus trees such as oranges, clementines, lemons, mandarins and blood oranges. Farmers in Corsica place great importance on preserving the freshness and flavor of their citrus fruits, picking them when fully ripe and storing them under the ...
3.5 Analysis of costs and returns
Production costs:
Labor, inputs, water and irrigation, energy, as well as equipment and infrastructure are key elements in the cost of citrus production. Labor includes expenses for various tasks such as planting, pruning, harvesting and tree maintenance. Inputs required for tree health and yield include products such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Offer typology
Source: ****
Citrus products :
Orange juice
Lemon juice
Grapefruit juice
Tangerine juice
Lime juice
Marmalade
Jelly
Candied zest
Sorbet
Essential oil
Vinegar
Sweets
Tart
Liqueurs
Sauce
Cakes and cookies
Jam
Chocolate
Fragrances
Skin care products
4.2 Sales prices in France
Average annual retail prices per kilogram for * citrus fruits France, ****-****, in €/kg INSEE
From **** to ****, prices for oranges, lemons and clementines have risen overall. The price of oranges rose from €*.** in **** to €*.* in ****. The price of lemons has risen from €*.** in **** to €*.** in ****. Finally, the price of clementines has risen ...
4.3 Supply trends
In ****, over **,*** farms, or **.*% of farms in France, were involved in organic farming, either certified or in transition to certification. Although the number of organic producers will have increased by *.*% in ****, this growth rate is lower than in ****. Half of the cessations of certification recorded in **** are due to retirement, rather ...
5 Regulations
5.1 UNECE Standard FFV-14 concerning the marketing and commercial quality control of citrus fruit
I. Product definition
This standard applies to citrus fruit of varieties (***) grown from the following species, to be supplied fresh to the consumer, citrus fruit for industrial processing being excluded:
Lemons from the species Citrus limon (***) Burm. f., or its hybrids. Persian limes from the species Citrus latifolia (***) Tanaka, large-fruited acid ...
5.2 Hygiene and sanitation package
The distribution of fruit and vegetables is strictly regulated by European health regulations for the agri-food sector. In ****, a set of standardized regulations came into force across the European Union, known as the "Hygiene Package". These regulations provide a framework for the entire industry and all its players: producers, distributors and ...
5.3 Appellations and certifications
Other tools can be used to certify the origin or quality of strawberries.
The Appellation d'Origine Protégée (***) is a European sign with value throughout the EU, awarded to a product whose every stage of production respects a recognized know-how in the same geographical area, giving the product its characteristics. ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Agrial Coopérative Primeal
- Carrefour Groupe
- Auchan groupe
- E.Leclerc
- Eurogroup Consulting
- Andros Groupe
- Tropicana
- Joker (Eckes Granini France)
- Innocent
- Biocoop
- Naturalia
- Bio c' Bon
- La Vie Claire
List of charts presented in this market study
- The twelve biggest citrus producers
- Citrus market size worldwide
- Europe's eight largest citrus growers
- Types of citrus grown worldwide
- French citrus production
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Latest news
Biocoop announces the end of the organic crisis - 08/03/2024
- - Organic prices are on average 50% higher than those of conventional products.
- - Sales of organic products plunged by 4% in France in 2022, and by 13% in major supermarket chains in the first half of 2023.
- - Biocoop sales grew by 2.3% in 2023.
- - Biocoop gained 2 points of market share among specialists, reaching 45% in 2023.
- - Biocoop closed 39 of its 298 stores in 2023.
Optimistic for the future, Biocoop announces encouraging results - 08/03/2024
- Organic cooperative chain sales: 1.5 billion euros
- - Sales up: 2.3% (+3.1% at constant base)
- - Volume contraction: 4 to 5%
- - Biocoop market share: up 2 points to 43.9%
- - Number of Biocoop stores: 739 by the end of 2023
- - Number of Biocoop employees: 6,600
- - Number of Biocoop store closures: 39
- - Number of Biocoop store openings: 13 - 87% of Biocoop's products come from France
Auchan faces another "difficult" year in 2023 - 22/02/2024
- -Auchan net loss in 2023: 379 million euros
- - Previous year's profit: 33 million euros
- - Auchan's position in the French retail sector: 5th
- - Revenue in 2023: down 1.7% to 32.9 billion euros
- - Share of hypermarkets in Auchan's store base: 21%
- - Acquisition of Casino stores by Auchan and Intermarché: 70 supermarkets, 26 hypermarkets, including five larger than 9,000 m2, and two drives
Carrefour has switched to the more dynamic franchising model - 21/02/2024
- - Carrefour has passed the tipping point towards a model based increasingly on franchising.
- - By 2023, half of its sales in France will come from franchised or leased stores.
- - As part of this strategy, Carrefour has added 653 neighbourhood stores by the end of 2023.
- - In 2023, Carrefour recorded sales of €94.13 billion, up 10.4% on the previous year.
- - Carrefour-branded products now account for 36% of food sales, up from 33% in 2022.
- - Carrefour's e-commerce sales volume rose by 26% to 5.3 billion euros (+16% in France).
- - Carrefour plans to acquire 60 Cora hypermarkets and 115 Match supermarkets for a hefty billion euros in 2024.
Auchan: New Beginnings - 06/12/2023
- Gérard Mulliez founded Auchan in 1961.
- Auchan hypermarkets account for 80% of the company's sales.
- Auchan's market share has fallen from over 10% five years ago to 8.4% today.
- Failed attempt by the Mulliez family to take over Carrefour in October 2021.
- Auchan and Intermarché are looking to form a product purchasing alliance, which would give them a combined market share of 30%.
- Auchan and Intermarché have been trying to share nearly 300 hypers and supermarkets that Casino is due to sell.
80 Carrefour hypermarkets operated under franchise or leasing agreements - 14/11/2023
- On October 20, Carrefour announced its intention to switch 37 stores (comprising 15 hypermarkets and 21 supermarkets) to lease management.
- Since 2018, 80 hypermarkets have left integrated status, representing around a third of all hypermarkets.
- Around 75% of supermarkets (784 out of 1038) are currently leased or franchised.
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The citrus market | France
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