Supermarkets have been out of mustard stock for several months now, but good news for lovers of this condiment. Production is “very good” this year,” explains Fabrice Guenin, president of the Association of Burgundy Mustard Seed Producers (APGMB) in the columns of Le Parisien.
“The 2022 harvest in France is 50% larger than in 2021”. On the other hand, he doubts that the quantity of grains will be enough to raise stocks. To “draw up an objective inventory, we will have to wait for the arrival of the Canadian harvest, in December 2022,” he states. Indeed, imports from this country represent 80% of the needs in this sector. You will therefore have to wait until next quarter to see mustard on your shelves again.
To achieve such a harvest, various factors played an important role. First, the fact that “insect pests were much less numerous”. Then, “the weather since last October has been very mild, he says, because it has not been too cold or too hot, with an appropriate water supply.”
Unilever, the leading mustard producer in France, informed Le Monde that French production will not be enough to end the shortage. For the director of the Reine de Dijon condiment brand, Luc Vandermaesen: “I’m afraid it will take a little longer before we can restock. It will be tense until 2024”.
In France, according to BFMTV, the average consumption is 1 kilo per year and per person. However, today, distributors limit its purchase to one or two pots maximum.
