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Summary of our market study
The French market for fresh fruit and vegetables exceeds 25 billion euros.
Annual global fruit production has risen to an estimated 1,100 million tonnes.
Asia dominated fresh fruit and vegetable production, accounting for 59% and 74% respectively.
The French market, with annual growth in value of 7%, has not been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
France imports mainly from Spain and exports to European markets.
Market trends
Consumption levels of fruit and vegetables are rising little in volume terms, but more in value terms. The market is moving towards higher quality. Consumers are looking for seasonal produce and are very attentive to its origin.
French fruit and vegetable production in value terms is recording an average annual growth rate of between 5 and 10%. Potatoes show an exceptionally high growth rate of between 15 and 25%.
Pesticide use continues to be a concern for consumers, but the trend is towards a lower level of concern, and consumers are placing greater trust in production methods and supply chain transparency.
Seasonality and origin are taking precedence over quantity.
The organic produce segment has exploded. Growth in farmland under organic management is between 10 and 20% a year, before levelling offOrganic fruit and vegetable production has increased at an average annual rate of 15.9%, and French agriculture has devoted 0.4% of its land to organic production in this sector.
Hypermarkets remain the preferred choice for the majority of fruit and vegetable purchases, with around 30-35% of the market in both volume and value.
France's fruit and vegetable wholesale market is a dynamic and crucial segment of the country's agri-food industry, and plays an essential role in the supply chain.
Key players in the fruit and vegetable sector
- Rungis Market supplies Paris with fresh fruit and vegetables
- Ponoma has carved out an enviable place for itself in the French fresh produce wholesale market.
- Prosol and its Grand Frais chain is a key player in the distribution of fresh produce.
- Compagnie Fruitière Paris de Rungis is one of the main groups supplying a range of fruit to the market. This cooperative is known for the strength of its network and its commitment to delivering fresh, quality produce throughout the region.
- The Arcal regional vegetable dial association in Saint Pol de Laçon represents the region's commitment to the fruit and vegetable trade, underlining the importance of cooperatives in supporting local farmers and markets.
- In the south of France, Marché des fruits nagel in Vendargues has made a name for itself thanks to its strategic geographical positioning and its commitment to meeting the strong demand from the Mediterranean region.
- Montauban-based Blue Whale also plays an important role in the industry, with its branded and packaged fruit options catering to a segment looking for convenience and consistency.
- Société Initiatives et coopération agricoles in St Pol de Leon and Coopérative maraîchère de l'ouest in Plougastel are other notable entities that combine the traditional cooperative model with modernity.
- Carrefour, Auchan , Leclerc and the major food retailers are key players in this sector
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of the study
Fruit and vegetable traders, also known as wholesalers, act as intermediaries between producers (French or foreign) and distribution players such as retailers, catering companies and sometimes the processing industry.
The market players are therefore producers, cooperatives, shippers, central purchasing agencies, wholesale markets, supermarkets, greengrocers and restaurant owners.
In France, the activity of traders is in a great dynamic . The health crisis has not impacted the sector's turnover, which has been in a growth phase since 2014 : over the period 2014 - 2019, turnover recorded an average annual growth rate of 5.22%.
The French market benefits from the popularity of fruit and vegetables among households, but also from the demand for traceability and clarity as to the origin of products. Moreover, in the trend of "eating better" supported by the numerous awareness campaigns financed by the State, the traders have a card to play. Indeed, the highlighting of the activity can enable them to develop a differentiation of the offer through quality and therefore a range of activities that is growing and expanding.
Other key factors influencing the market include the trend towards consumption of organically grown products with higher value added
Finally, the market is characterized by a great stability in its structure with a stable number of players, an efficient territorial network and a weak competitive landscape. The good health of the sector is also reflected in the increase in the number of employees.
1.2 Fruit and vegetable production in the world
The FAO reports on the production of fruits and vegetables in the world.
Over the period ****- ****, fruit production increased from *** million tonnes to *** million tonnes, representing a CAGR of *.**%. For vegetables, production was *** million tonnes in **** and also increased to **** million tonnes in ****, with a CAGR of *.*% over the period. ...
1.3 Fruit and vegetable traders in France in the global picture
Key figures for the fruit and vegetable market
Iterfel is an organization that brings together the various activities of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. On its website lesfruitsetlégumesfrais.com, Interfel reports that France is the *ᵉ largest fruit and vegetable producing country in Europe (***).
FranceAgriMer (***) published in May **** the key ...
1.4 Foreign trade in fruit and vegetables
In France, traders work with foreign suppliers but make most of their turnover on the national market. The data of imports and exports of fruits and vegetables in France give nevertheless a good indicator of the main partners for the international trade of the sector.
The UN Comtrade site reports Customs ...
2 Analysis of the demand
2.1 Household consumption of fruit and vegetables in France
Household consumption in value and volume terms
In the key figures for the fruit and vegetable sector in ****, the establishment details the evolution of household consumption in volume and value for fruit and vegetables. Some of these data can be updated with the help of another FranceAgriMer report published in **** on ...
2.2 The distribution channels most favoured by households
The popularity of the different distribution channels is of great importance for fruit and vegetable traders. Indeed, the distribution channels are the customers of the traders, and the popularity of the channels influences the wholesale purchase volumes which influence the (***) purchase price and thus directly the turnover of the traders.
Breakdown ...
2.3 The organic market in full expansion
Trends in the fruit and vegetable market have a direct impact on the activity of traders. The demand for organic produce is growing and fruit and vegetable wholesalers must take this dynamic into account. This part is extracted from a Businesscoot study on the organic fruit and vegetable sector in France, ...
2.4 Consumer confidence in products and farmers
FranceAgriMer published the **** barometer of French confidence in fruit and vegetables in ****. The year **** resulted in an increase in French confidence in fruit and vegetables with * points for each category, raising the percentage of French people who have confidence in vegetables (***). Confidence in farmers has increased by * points to **%.
The primary ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Traders: a key element in the value chain of the industry
Producers have two ways of selling their production:
Direct sales: on markets, to specialised shops, to processors in the food industry and to local supermarkets; The sale in short circuit (***): via the cooperatives and the forwarding companies which gather the productions of several farmers to obtain the best price with the ...
3.2 Overview of the wholesale business in France
Traders in France
The ACOSS database makes it possible to observe the evolution of the number of companies and employees registered under the NAF **.**Z code on the French territory.
Changes in the number of enterprises and employees under NAF code **.**Z (***) France, **** - ****, in units Source: ****
The number of companies ...
3.3 Traders in the distribution diagram: the distribution of value
On a regular basis, CTIFL produces a balance sheet diagram that shows the distribution in the fruit and vegetable sector. The latest edition is for ****. The chart below is taken from this diagram and details the main suppliers to wholesalers by value of goods purchased:
Distribution of traders' supply purchases* by ...
4 Analysis of the offer
4.1 Traders: a guarantee of reliability and traceability
Quality rewarded by certifications
The role of traders in the sector is increasingly highlighted by consumers. Indeed, the latter are looking for transparency and legibility regarding the products they buy. For many, it is now crucial to be able to be informed about the origin of the products and the different ...
4.2 Wholesale markets in France
France has ** wholesale markets: Angers, Lille, Rouen, Rungis, Rennes, Nantes, Tours, Bordeaux, Agen, Toulouse, Montpellier, Perpignan, Marseille, Cavaillon, Chateaurenard, Avignon, Nice, Grenoble, Lyon and Strasbourg.
The role of the wholesale markets is to organise the supply of fresh products to independent traders. They are essential partners of the out-of-home catering industry, ...
4.3 PESTEL - SWOT - and Porter's Forces
Pestel analysis of fruit and vegetable traders' activities in France
The SWOT matrix of the sector
Porter's strengths of the business
5 Regulation
5.1 General regulations
The traditional regulatory framework for fruit and vegetable trading activities
Decree **.**** of **/**/**** sets out the health rules for fruit and vegetables. They must be: of sound quality, clean, whole and must have reached a sufficient degree of development and ripeness; Decree n°**-**** of **/**/**** modified by decree n°**-*** of **/**/****: The ...
5.2 The quality approach
The UNCGFL's requirements
THE UNCGFL, Union nationale du commerce de gros de fruits et légumes (***), is responsible for carrying out audits of fruit and vegetable trading activities. It initiates, sometimes in partnership with other professional organisations, differentiation approaches for fruit and vegetable wholesale companies.
Charter of professionalism: This is a ...
6 Positioning of the actors
6.1 Segmentation
Source: ****
- Pomona Groupe
- Grand Frais (Prosol)
- Compagnie fruitière Paris
- La fraicherie
- Les Crudettes - LSDH Groupe
- Charlet Groupe
- So Fruce
- Agrial Coopérative Primeal
- Florette (Agrial)
- Lou Légumes
- Bonduelle Groupe
- Vergers Cancel
- Priméale Agrial
- d'aucy
- Provenceprim
- Idyl
- Jardins du Roussillon
- Solagora
- Terrango
- Maison Colibri (Groupe Roullier)
- Perle du Nord
- Le Saint Réseau
- Saint Charles International-
- MIN de Rungis - Semmaris
- NectarGo
List of charts presented in this market study
- Trends in world fresh vegetable production
- Trends in world fresh fruit production
- The world's largest fruit producers
- The world's largest vegetable producers
- Changes in turnover of fruit and vegetable wholesale activities
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Latest news
Bonduelle abandons its bagged salads in the face of pressure from retailers - 02/09/2024
- - Bonduelle announces the divestment of its bagged salad business in France and Germany.
- - The Bonduelle group has been facing a structural decline in salad consumption in France and Germany for the past ten years.
- - Les Crudettes, which is in exclusive negotiations with Bonduelle to take over the French business, employs 2,300 people and boasts annual sales of 1.2 billion euros.
- - The Saint-Mihiel salad plant could close in spring 2025, affecting 159 employees.
- - Sales in Bonduelle's salad segment have fallen by 15% over the last seven years.
- - Bonduelle's overall sales fell by 1.4% to 2.37 billion euros for the year 2023
- -2024. - 73% of non-cooked frozen vegetables sold at retail are marketed under private labels, according to Circana.
- - Bonduelle employs over 11,000 people and operates in nearly one hundred countries.
Bonduelle sells its bagged salads in France and Germany - 30/08/2024
- Bonduelle's total sales for the year ending June: 2.4 billion euros.
- Percentage of sales represented by the global bagged salad business sold: 7%.
- Sale of 65% of US canned vegetables and Long Life frozen foods business in 2022: 625 million euros.
Bonduelle: cool weather to penalize sales in 2023-2024 - 06/08/2024
- Bonduelle sales for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024: 2.372 billion euros.
Prosol strengthens its presence at Grand Frais - 02/07/2024
- -Prosol (distribution company) was created in 1992 and is based in Chaponnay, south of Lyon (Rhône).
- - Novoviande, Ile-de-France's leading network of traditional retail butchers, was acquired by Prosol.
- - Novoviande operates in 39 Grand Frais in the Paris region.
- - Novoviande also operates as a wholesaler on the Rungis market and has a 2,400 m² logistics platform.
- - Prosol's main shareholder is the Ardian fund.
- - According to "LSA" estimates, Grand Frais has sales of over 3 billion euros.
- - With the acquisition of Novoviande, Prosol intends to strengthen its butchery sector.
- - Prior to the acquisition, Prosol already operated butchers in 9 Grand Frais and 52 Fresh stores.
- - Prosol manages a total of 350 stores, including Grand Frais, Mon-marché.fr, some Boulangerie du Marché and the Banco Fresco chain in Italy.
- - Prosol accounts for around 60% of Grand Frais' business
- - The strategy includes the integration of the various sectors (fruit and vegetables, dairy, meat, fish) within Grand Frais
Ker Cadélac expands its range of madeleines - 03/06/2024
- -Classic madeleines, known as coquilles, account for 88% of sales in this segment.
- - Ker Cadélac has a 10.8% market share.
Jean-Noël Darniche, new General Manager of Bonduelle Fresh France - 23/04/2024
- **Bonduelle Fresh sales**: €110 million
- - **Number of production sites**: 4
- - **Number of employees**: Nearly 600
- - **Types of activity**: Own-brand, private label and out-of-home catering
- - **Specialized in delicatessen salads with the takeover of Caugant in 2003
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