Overall drop in cost of fruit and vegetables in France

According to a new study by the Association of Rural Families (L’Association Familles Rurales), fruit has dropped in price by 8% and vegetables by 7% this year compared to 2016 prices, with a kilo of fruit costing on average €3,76 and a kilo of vegetables costing €2,14 in 2017.

The apricot has dropped in price the most this year, down 26% per kilo, followed by potatoes (22% drop) and courgettes (20% drop).

However, organic fruits and vegetables (known as “produits biologiques” in French) were found to cost twice as much as their commercial counterparts, with a kilo of organic fruit at around €7 per kilo, and vegetables at €4.

Perhaps surprisingly, farmers’ markets were found to be the most expensive source of fruits and vegetables, compared to low-cost “hard discounts” supermarkets, which were found to have the cheapest produce, followed by hypermarkets and other “normal” supermarkets.

The study found it to be slightly cheaper to buy French-origin fruit and vegetables compared to buying from abroad, with 10 of the 16 fruits and vegetables studied found to be cheaper if bought from within France.

Overall, in the past 10 years, a basket of fruit has risen by 18.6% in price (quicker than the 12, 2% rate of inflation), compared to a rise of just 7% for a basket of vegetables.

“It is possible to eat five fruits and vegetables per day, even on a tight budget,” said the Association, in a press release. “We worry about the figures we see, which show that French people are respecting the public health recommendations less and less.

“The consumption of [enough] fruit and vegetables is still a major health concern, and we would ask people to be aware of processed foods, which, even if they do contain fruit and vegetables, may also be too rich in fat, salt, and sugar.”