Our vocation is to increase the yield and the revenue of the producers

Interview with M. Favel, president of the Committee on Economic and Agricultural Affairs of the Rhone Mediterranean area, France. Our vocation is to increase the yield and the revenue of the producers Fructidor : Can you explain to us what does the Committee on Economic and Agricultural Affairs of the Rhone Mediterranean area represent ? M. Favel : The Committee on Economic and Agricultural Affairs of the Rhone Mediterranean area (B.R.M) was set up four years ago and includes four administrative regions : Auvergne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Rhône-Alpes. We formed a committee on request of the public authorities. Fructidor : What are your missions ? M. Favel :The first mission of the Committee on Economic and Agricultural Affairs of the Rhone Mediterranean area is to improve the revenue of the producers. We tend to improve the marketing, do communication on our products and, as a general rule, we try to bring support to our members and produce organisations. Last, we prepare the campaigns on a collective level. In fact, we try to improve everything concerning the collective management of subjects on which we can influence all together, because even our committee's largest company couldn't compete on the market if it was alone. It is important we set up strategies and targets all together. One of our targets is to be present on important events for the fruit and vegetables sector. That is the reason of our presence on the Fruit Logistica show that we have been attending since the creation of our committee four years ago. Today, we have a 200m² booth and 18 companies that all have a specific visual identity. And these figures may double next year. Fructidor : How important is the B.R.M's production ? M. Favel : The B.R.M represents : 134 produce organisations ; a total production of 1 600 000 tons and 26 fruit and vegetables sections. It is the number 1 European agricultural area that benefits from privileged natural assets. Systems have changed... Fructidor : What is your feeling about the European market ? M. Favel : On a fruit and vegetables consuming level, we can be optimistic. Nearly everywhere in Europe, and notably in France, we assist to people's awareness on the utility of eating fruit and vegetables. The trend concerns natural products, health food and vitamins. Consumers privilege their health and, this year, we can note consumption in Europe is rising. The second aspect is the one of marketing and production. There were very difficult seasons in the past in Europe, particularly in France in 1999 and 2000, and it has weaken the sector. Today's stake is to help companies overcome the difficulties. It was also difficult because of a bad products valorisation and a bad understanding of the supply and demand. Demand which doesn't express the same way as before. For example, it is not because there is a drop in a product offer that the price will automatically increase. Buyers who buy in large volumes don't take the production neither our requirements into account, they fix the buying price according to what they paid the previous year. And they have such a power that they always get what they want. In order to improve this situation, the produce organisations are networking to build reliable information. Indeed, marginal volumes can perturb the marketing process due to a lack of information, what we call "rumours". We also have to learn how to better communicate with our European colleagues and this is exactly what we do within "Europêch". Last year, for example, we registered a whole traceability system from the parcel to the store with the creation of a specific software in collaboration with the region of Catalonia in Spain and the CSO in Italy. We obtained financing from Europe, the trial period will start at the beginning of April 2002 and the traceability tool will be available for produce organisations in 2004. We also exchange a lot with our European colleagues about qualitative norms and the definition of an integrated production. Fructidor : During this interview, you have stated "Europêch" several times, what is your opinion on this organisation ?

M. Favel :"Europêch" is the only European forum concerning stone fruit that deals with current events and also forecasts. It is an essential forum for reflection and exchange of information with also a crop forecast system. This project has been set up by the B.R.M, the farmers' association of Perpignan (Chambre d'Agriculture de Perpignan), the Languedoc-Roussillon region and the Vaucluse department. I preside over the board of directors composed of representatives of the farmers' association and the B.R.M.