Colruyt accused of monopolizing agricultural land to the detriment of family farms

The supermarket chain has more than 200 hectares of cultivable land, of which more than 30 hectares are adjacent to the distribution centers of Hal (Flemish Brabant) and Lessines (Hainaut). Plust half of the agricultural land acquired by Colruyt in the countryside is located on either side of the linguistic border.

Fields and meadows are grouped around the Lessines distribution center that Colruyt uses for fast-moving products. The land is mainly south of Ronse, in Frasnes-les-Anvaing, Leuze-en-Hainaut and Ath, and to a lesser extent, in Silly, Brugelette and Ecaussines. Colruyt wants to sell products grown on its own agricultural land in its own stores.

In the first half of 2021, the price of farmland saw the biggest increase in 5 years. The average price per hectare has increased the most in Hainaut, as a percentage. NOTnevertheless, the average price per hectare in Hainaut remained the second lowest compared to the other Belgian provinces. On average, one hectare of agricultural land in Hainaut costs 34,828 euros. In West Flanders and Antwerp it is more than twice as much.

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