Tons of tomatoes at bargain prices: destocking operations organized in the Alpes-Maritimes

Do you like tomato? You are going to be spoiled. The production of heart of beef, marmande, black Crimean, pineapple and other old varieties is exceptional this year in the Alpes-Maritimes.

A bit too much, even. The round, bright red (sometimes yellow) fruits, essential ingredients of Mediterranean gastronomy, have ripened too quickly due to the high temperatures recorded in recent weeks. Even individuals who are lucky enough to have a vegetable garden have noticed this early ripening.

A blow to the local economy

Consequence: local producers are overwhelmed by harvests, and are struggling to sell their goods. Wholesalers are choosy and consumers, worried regarding seeing their purchasing power melt away a few days before going on vacation due to inflation, are tightening the purse strings.

He turns a little more willingly to products imported from Spain or harvested from our transalpine neighbors (whose prices are more competitive), or even to discount supermarkets. A blow to the local economy.

The popular short circuit… then forgotten

During the two years, at the worst of the health crisis, especially during the two confinements, small farmers did well, innovating, developing online sales, home delivery.

The Amap (Associations for the maintenance of peasant agriculture) have multiplied, and with them the sale of baskets in the form of a subscription taken out by the consumer.

But the people of the Côte d’Azur, who had time to cook and were then concerned regarding consuming healthy food, produced in short circuits in a context of the reverse of globalization (deemed responsible for the pandemic, the shortage of masks, etc.), seem to have forgotten their good resolutions. Local producers don’t feel abandoned.

Flash sales and destocking operations

To sell off the stocks, some communicated on social networks. Like Olivier Campana, in La Roquette-sur-Siagne. Twice, on June 15 and June 29, the Campana farm offered “flash sales”. Crates of 5kg at 10 euros.

“Flash sale. I didn’t think I’d write this one day for tomatoes, still surprised Magali Campana, Olivier’s wife. We didn’t win much on them, but at least we didn’t throw them away. People really came and we managed to liquidate the stock. We didn’t think we’d get there.”

This Friday and Saturday, it is Fabrice Leroy, organic market gardener at the Ferme des Grenouilles, in Villeneuve-Loubet, who is launching a “destocking operation”. Aurélien Passeron, organic producer at L’Escarène, is also thinking regarding it.

While waiting for better days for local agriculture, one question remains: will there be enough round fruit left for our ratatouilles, our stuffed vegetables and our tomato-mozzarella salads at the end of summer, if all of them have ripened too early?

“Their prices are likely to rise because there will be less supply, but some are anticipating, with second plantings”, replies Fabrice Leroy.

Farm sales, markets, Amap…: where to buy local?

Buy directly from your market gardener

“La ferme aux roses”, in Antibes, offers fruits and vegetables grown without inputs (pesticides, herbicides, etc.). Tel.: [phone].

In Vallauris, on the road to Cannes, “La ferme de Bres” sells its products directly. Tel.: [phone].

Near Menton, “The Vegetables of Saint-Paul”, a market gardening farm in organic conversion, offers quality vegetables. Tel.: [phone].

Finally, in the hinterland, you can find your organic fruit and vegetables at “La Basse-cour des granges”, in Ascros, in the canton of Puget-Théniers: contact Dorothée Valtier at 06.29.64.30.18.

Producer shops and online sales

“The producer’s basket” is a site that offers to order a basket online from 12 euros. Composed of seasonal vegetables and fruits, they are delivered from the producer to the consumer in Nice, Antibes, Sophia and Cannes. Website: lepanierduproducteur.com Tel. : [phone]. Email: [email protected].

You can also buy in a local product shop or by having it delivered. Like in Cagnes-sur-Mer where the Verslebio store offers organic baskets from producers in the region. Website: verslebio.com Tel. : [phone].

Join an Amap

You can also join an Amap: an association that will give you a weekly basket with products from producers, who thus benefit from a regular income. To find an Amap near you:
lesamapdeprovence.org

Permanent and seasonal markets

In Nice, all year round except Mondays, local producers sell their products at the Liberation market. Organic and local markets are held in Vence every Saturday morning and in Châteauneuf-Grasse from Tuesday to Saturday morning. For a Provençal market, go to Théoule-sur-Mer on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Looking for seasonal markets instead? This summer, a market is set up every Saturday morning in Isola Village or Isola 2000. In Saint-Martin-Vésubie, go to “Le petit marché montagnard” every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., until to September 30. For small markets, you can go to Sospel and Brig on Sunday mornings.

To find the calendar of farmers’ markets as well as the (non-exhaustive) list of other places where agricultural products are sold: tinyurl.com/prodloc06.