France, cold penalizes tomatoes - melons

Due to the cold summer with temperatures more around 20 than 30 degrees, French consumers were not encouraged to buy raw vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers - the Agriculture ministry informs in a note. The situation for melons was difficult too: these registered an average drop by 20% of the volumes supplied to the domestic market.
The preference went to cookable vegetables like zucchini, which in July registered an increase of production price by 137% compared to last year. This before the drop in August due to the bad weather.
The negative climatic conditions last summer, with cold temperatures and high humidity, also affected the quality of the fresh produce: less volumes on markets, smaller sizes and inconstant quality characterized most of French vegetables.
At the same time, imports of tomatoes and cucumbers further weakened the French market. To consume tomato stocks, promotional offers and price reductions were necessary in almost all the Country. Producers’ entries decreased by 3% compared to the last five years, and by 16% compared to 2006.
However, considering the other vegetables, the overall fresh vegetable market recorded a price increase by 7% compared to last year.