While food price forecasts were alarmist for the month of March, the Minister of the Economy wanted to be reassuring on Monday.
Maeliss Innocenti with Agencies
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ATith galloping inflation and very pessimistic forecasts for the coming weeks, the French expected to see food prices explode in March, but the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire tried to reassure them on Monday morning. “There will be no red march, there is no reason for there to be a red march”, hammered the minister on BFMTV, in reference to fears of a price surge after the annual negotiations of the supermarkets with their suppliers.
These negotiations must be concluded no later than 1er March. They are traditionally tight, but are all the more so this year in an inflationary context (energy, transport or raw materials) which weighs on the margins of all players.
They relate to all so-called “national” brand products (Danone, Lu, Mondelez, etc.). Private label products (Brand Repères, Produits U or Carrefour, etc.) are not affected.
“We are going to stay at price levels which are very high”, but “there is no reason for prices to ignite from March”, explained Bruno Le Maire, who will receive distributors. in the coming days” to see how to limit the impact of inflation “on the basket of compatriots”.
Towards a decline in inflation in March?
” I do not know if [le résultat des discussions] will be an anti-inflation basket”, he added, opening the door to the abandonment of this “basket” composed of products from around fifty categories “at the best quality/price ratio”. “It will be what distributors will find most useful and effective. »
READ ALSOArtus – Inflation: why you should be wary of overly optimistic predictions“I have set March 15 as the deadline to find together an operational solution to this increase in food prices and consumer prices in general”, detailed Bruno Le Maire. “I maintain that […] towards mid-2023, inflation should come down in our country,” the minister also argued.