French fries may not be on the menu of the Olympic athletes in Paris, but the raw material potatoes are increasingly found in consumers' shopping baskets. This is evident from sales figures in France. A world event such as the Olympic Games can contribute to this.
Between the beginning of June and the beginning of July, 8% more potatoes were sold in France compared to the same period last year. This is evident from figures published by the potato organization CNIPT. The price level of potatoes has increased by 5% in one year. That is modest, but compared to 2022 it is more than a third more.
More via discounter
It is therefore not surprising that the French have bought more potatoes at discounters and fewer in the supermarket. When it comes to volumes, the typical French hypermarket remains in the lead. In one month, the volume sold increased by 6%. This also applies to supermarkets. Discounters saw their potato turnover increase by 17% in the same period.
A total of 42.700 tons of table potatoes were sold in French stores. For the entire year, sales are still almost 5% lower than in the previous period. The multi-year trend towards smaller packaging changed slightly in June and July. Discount stores mainly sell larger bags of five kilos, while ten kilos actually generate less turnover.
Record price
Table potato growers ended the old season with a record price. The table potato price for the Agata variety came to €1,30 per kilo. That is a quarter more than a year ago and even double the figure in 2022. The market is currently still faced with a relatively small supply. Prices are expected to drop when more potatoes come onto the market. In France, crops are also struggling with hot and dry weather, although there is also local flooding due to thunderstorms and rain showers. Up to 100 millimeters fell in a short time.
Is there an 'Olympic effect' on the potato market? That claim is difficult to substantiate when you analyze the sales figures surrounding this sporting event. In any case, the athletes themselves do not serve fries consumed in the Olympic Village, much to the outrage of French chip lovers. According to the organization, this has nothing to do with the unhealthy nature of this product, but more with fire safety. Deep frying on a large scale is undesirable in Paris.
More fries and table potatoes
If you look at the import figures of frozen potato products and fresh potatoes around the Olympic Games, you will indeed see that the volume usually increases. This was the case in Tokyo (2021) and Brazil (2016), among others. During the Games in London (2012), the import of fries did not increase, but that of table potatoes did.
This increase is of course not surprising. According to the organization itself, approximately 150.000 employees and volunteers are involved in the Games in Paris. Prior to the event, the organization expected 15,3 million visitors. That's a lot of extra mouths to feed in the City of Light. It is now clear that this number will not be achieved, but it can still give food sales a significant boost.