France is forced to import garlic

The French garlic market is under pressure: available stocks are dwindling and operators are already anticipating a significant deficit in the coming weeks. France, which already imports part of its consumption, will have to turn more to imports to meet growing demand. According to an operator at the famous Rungis market, the situation is clear: "French companies' stocks of conservation garlic are decreasing day after day. There is a little left, but not a lot." This worrying observation is even more worrying in a European context where Spanish reserves, traditionally abundant, are also decreasing. Spain, France's leading European supplier of garlic, is going through a complicated year, with production volumes below average. This weakness in supply is pushing prices up and making the market more volatile. In addition to the quantity problems, the quality of the garlic available is heterogeneous. "Unfortunately, some batches are doing very badly, but others remain very good," ...