Haro on the rice! Or rather on a batch of Taureau Ailé wholegrain basmati rice, forced to leave the supermarket shelves without delay. The government site RappelConso formalized this withdrawal on January 23, citing the presence of a banned pesticide. A case of adulterated rice that made a mess in the sector. Especially since this is not an isolated case.
In November 2022, the Lidl brand had to withdraw from its stores basmati rice likely to contain carcinogenic toxins, and Carrefour had done the same a year earlier. It is true that the French are fond of this long grain variety, grown in India and Pakistan. “Basmati rice represents approximately 50% of the French market, i.e. nearly 200,000 tonnes”says Bertrand Mazel, president of the Syndicate of rice growers of France.
In comparison, that of the Camargue is content with the minimal portion. “Our production reached 70,000 tonnes in 2022”, specifies Bertrand Mazel. But the Camargue grain, which has a protected geographical indication (PGI), came out immaculate – just like organic rice – from a survey carried out, in 2021, by the magazine 60 million consumerseager to track pesticide residues among cereal producers.
Short-term relief
French rice farmers have other reasons to keep smiling. The barometer of their market, located in Italy, in Vercelli to be more precise, is looking good. “The price has risen, in one year, from 400 to 600 euros per ton”, believes Mr. Mazel. However, when the war in Ukraine broke out at the end of February 2022, he seemed to turn his back on the wave of speculation. While wheat, corn, oil blazed, the grass seemed immune.
A relief for populations dependent on this cereal for food. But short-lived. Gradually, he too was hit by a ricochet. Faced with the wild rise in the price of wheat, some countries have increased their purchases of grasses. In addition, in Europe, the drought reduced harvests in Italy and Spain, the two strongholds of production.
“Usually, Europe consumes 4 million tonnes of rice and produces 3 million. In 2022, production fell to 2.5 million tons. Imports will increase accordingly., explains Mr. Mazel. Even if the world harvest reached 512 million tonnes, not far from its historic record of 2021, tensions are high on the market.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has estimated, early February, that international rice prices “jumped 6.2% in January compared to December [2022]as a result of tighter supplies, strong local demand in some Asian exporting countries, and movements in exchange rates”. At the very moment when those of wheat, corn or oils were ebbing. The UN agency has expressed the need to be vigilant and to assess the impact on global food security. When rice rhymes with enriched prices, the risk increases…
