“A second-choice vegetable with some flaws. » This warning, written in marker on a pink label, does not deter Marie Gibal, who has been walking since 8 a.m. in the Madeleine market in Orléans. Because the price of zucchini, black radish or sweet potato is 99 cents per kilogram. “Invincible”. “And this vegetable grew less than 10 kilometers from my house! », He rejoices.
Jean-Félix Bar in Lyon also appreciates the morning stalls. “At the Carno market, near Perache station, the sheep’s milk yogurts I buy from the producer on Sundays are cheaper than at the neighboring grocery store 9.e Township. The selection is wider and what’s more, the pots are returnable.”, he notes. In Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (Tarn-et-Garonne), at the beginning of September, Anais Huard offered her organic products on the table. Five tomatoes, five small eggplants, a handful of potatoes, six onions and a head of garlic cost only 6 euros. Enough to make a good family meal.
You can get good deals in the market. Of course, the above examples do not necessarily apply to every one of the 12,000 markets held each week in France, according to data from the Federation of French Market Traders Unions. There is no national survey that compares market prices to city stores or supermarkets. “But all anti-inflationary measures are aimed only at mass distribution, while products can be sold much cheaper in our markets.”Nadine Villiers, general secretary of the professional organization, wonders. And some stalls destroy all competition. “In the working-class neighborhoods of big cities, without markets, people would struggle to feed themselves.”– says the manager. The organization also supports “gathering,” which consists of helping yourself to unsold items at the end of the morning.
Seasonal products and tips
The favorable prices used by some local producers are based on the absence of middlemen, controlled distances and reduced investment, as explained by Anais Haard, who sells in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val and produces in Montpess-de-Quercy, 35 kilometers away. . “I work in an open field, I don’t have a cold room, and I don’t have employees who help me harvest. And I want prices to be affordable for residents”, he says. Instead, customers only have a limited selection of seasonal products.
Source: Le Monde
Ashley Fitzgerald is a financial whiz and a writer at Run Down Bulletin. With a passion for all things economy, she provides insightful and thought-provoking coverage of the latest economic trends and events.
