Emmanuel Macron said it again during the chaotic inauguration of the Agricultural Show, Saturday February 24, Porte de Versailles, in Paris: France remains a great agricultural nation. The first in Europe, even underlines the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), which estimates the value of French agricultural production at 95.5 billion euros in 2023. A result in a limited decline of 0.8 % compared to the 2022 record.
The agricultural trade balance is also structurally in surplus – even if the surplus fell sharply in 2023, from 4.7 billion to 1.1 billion euros. At issue: the bursting of the speculative bubble in grain prices, at a historic high, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, cereals are the first item of French exports in terms of raw agricultural product, allowing us to reap a surplus of 7.1 billion euros. By expanding the scope to all agricultural and agri-food products, the trade surplus reached 6.5 billion euros, down 3.7 billion euros. Wines and spirits weigh heavily in the balance, with a surplus of 14.7 billion euros.
Wines, spirits, cereals and dairy products are, in fact, the propellers of French agri-food exports. But, if they progress regularly in value despite some uncertainties, imports are also developing. This is due to purchases, outside French borders, of fruits and vegetables, meat but also fish, which affect the trade balance.
These purchases abroad should be compared with the evolution of French eating habits. The case of salmon is, in this respect, symptomatic. A few decades ago, this fish was only present at festive meals, in its smoked form. Now it is omnipresent. In 2021, according to data from FranceAgriMer, salmon was the most consumed fish in France. The Norwegian group Mowi, world leader in salmon production, with farms in Norway but also in the United Kingdom, is flooding the market. As a result, salmon imports alone weighed, in 2021, 1.7 billion euros.
Unprofitable winter production
Similarly, chicken consumption has surged. It has grown by almost 40% in ten years. However, this spectacular development owes a lot to meals taken away from home. The development of fast food restaurants, sandwich shops and collective catering largely explains this craze. According to the National Interprofessional Broiler Poultry Association (Anvol), the share of home consumption of chicken will only be 65% in 2023, compared to 92% in 2005. However, the evolution curve of imports poultry follows this trend closely. Catering brands have focused on imported products, which are often cheaper to purchase.
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