The giants Coop and Migros expect considerable margins on dairy products, according to a survey conducted jointly by Le Temps and Heidi.news. These revelations anger both producers and consumers.
According to the survey conducted by Time et Heidi.news, the gross margins of Coop reached 57% and those of Migros 46%. These data were on the darknet, following a hacking at the beginning of April of the servers of the Dairies reunited in Geneva.
“The producer is simply powerless in this affair. I believe that there are 20,000 producers left and only two or three major buyers. There is clearly a disproportion of power, we are at the mercy of a few buyers”, testifies Monday in the 7:30 p.m. Christian Blaser, milk producer.
For this farmer from Vaud, the fight becomes too complicated. He will soon be abandoning his production: “We have old buildings, we would have to make huge investments, around 25,000 francs per cow. If we consider around forty cows, we are at more than 2 million. comes at a pivotal moment when there are no more prospects.”
Inflationary period
Producers aren’t the only ones in disarray. The French Federation of Consumers (FRC) has also published investigation this Monday. The impressive margins of distributors are struggling to pass.
“In inflationary times, it is all the more important to know in which pocket the money of the consumers goes. At this level, the FRC is not satisfied that the margin rates remain the same for the large distribution, but that prices increase for consumers”, explains Sophie Michaud Gigon, secretary general of the FRC.
“Gross margins not significant”
Contacted by the RTS, Coop replied in writing: “Gross margins alone are not significant, because they do not take into account the actual costs. What is relevant is, for example, the multitude of actions that Coop carries out and which have a great influence on such a calculation.”
For its part, Migros did not want to respond to the requests of the RTS. The same goes for the Laiteries Réunis de Genève, which did not wish to comment on the article or answer questions.
Jacqueline Pirszel, Maurice Ducas et Gianluca Agosta / asch
