The government continues to maintain the suspense. While food prices continue to climb, the executive is careful, for the moment, to reveal the slightest measure of support for household purchasing power.
After having already increased by 13.3% in January, food prices still jumped by 14.5% in February over one year, according to provisional figures from INSEE published on 28th February last.
Traveling to the Salon de l’Agriculture in Paris this Thursday, March 2, Bruno Le Maire said his preference for a device ” which affects all our compatriots ».
“Everyone is affected by food inflation,” insisted the Minister of the Economy. “I am not in favor of an overly targeted device”.
Manufacturers called upon to make efforts
The Bercy tenant wants the device to come into force by March 15. To limit the cost of this measure, the outlines of which have still not been sketched out, Bruno Le Maire calls on distributors and large manufacturers to ” do their part ».
« Not everything can be paid for by the state “, he hammered.
And to add:
« Distributors are ready to make additional gestures, manufacturers also understand the difficulty of the situation. I am convinced that we will be able to find this collective agreement in the coming days, which will make it possible to share the burden of inflation “, concluded Bruno Le Maire.
Words that join those of Olivier Véran, Wednesday March 1 at the microphone of BFMTV and RMC. ” We want everyone to do their part “, he insisted, bouncing, him, on the words of the head of state last Saturday, at the Salon de l’Agriculture. Emmanuel Macron then invited large retail groups to contain their margins to fight against soaring food prices.
The “inflation basket” still pending, and far from unanimous
For several weeks now, the government has been leaning towards the establishment of an “anti-inflation basket”, at the initiative of the brands. The stated objective is to establish a (mobile) list of around fifty products, classified into five categories (hygiene, cleanliness, fresh, frozen and groceries), at the best value for money.
« It is not about having the lowest possible prices on all products without exception “, more ” to offer a way out to all consumers who are struggling to make ends meet, by telling them that, on a certain number of products, they will find the lowest possible prices “, indicated Bruno Le Maire at the Salon de l’Agriculture.
However, the anti-inflation basket project is far from unanimous.
If Lidl and System U have expressed their intention to play the game, others are more skeptical, like Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour.
This basket runs a small risk of being technocratic “, he judged in mid-February in Le Figarobelieving that his group had already taken ” measures to support customers in the face of rising prices on the shelves.
And to add
« But with all my comrades in the sector, we are always open to discussion with the government “, he added.
Business negotiations completed and a higher bill
Rising steadily since 2022, food prices are expected to increase further in the coming months. And for good reason, the annual trade negotiations between supermarkets and their suppliers ended on Wednesday evening, after three months of very high-tension talks. Only one certainty: the bill will be higher.
Manufacturers and the Federation of Commerce and Distribution (FCD) agree that the increase in the price paid by large retailers to their suppliers should be around 10%. ” I won’t venture to give a number. “, for his part reacted the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire at the Salon de l’Agriculture.
The precise figure for the price increase obtained by industrial suppliers should be known in the coming days. According to Ania, manufacturers have asked ” between 10% and 12% » increase, in order to pass on the increase in production costs.
Last March, they had obtained an increase of about 3%, and this, before inflation soared, following the war in Ukraine. The conflict had led to a reopening of negotiations in order to pass on the rise in the cost of agricultural raw materials, as well as those in the cost of energy, gas and electricity.
(with AFP)