Fruit-growers protest in Brussels to demand a fair price for their produce
Fruit-growers from Limburg and Liège Province are protesting in Brussels today (Monday) to demand that the supermarkets pay them a fair price for the produce they grow. A convoy of 80 tractors set off for the capital early on Monday morning. Their destination was the headquarters of the retail trade federation Comeos in the municipality of Oudergem, in the southeast of Brussels.
A spokesman for the fruit-growers, Xavier Laduron, told VRT Radio 1’s morning news and current affairs programme ‘De ochtend’ that “We want a fair price for our produce”.
The convoy set of from Glons in Liège Province at around 6am, travelling along the N3 highway via Sint-Truiden (Limburg), Boutersem and Tervuren (Flemish Brabant) en route to there final destination.
The fruit-growers believe that price that they receive for their apples and pears is far too low. Mr Laduron told VRT News that if the situation doesn’t improve there will be no more apples or pears grown in Belgium.
"Currently, we receive just under 40 cents for a kilo of apples. The supermarkets sell them at 2 euro. In order to cover our costs, we need to receive 1 euro per kilo. We believe that there is enough margin or this to be achieved. The margins need to share more equally. The price in the supermarket doesn’t need to increase for consumer”.