Struggles of the wine trade

THE French love for a glass of wine has been slowly declining and this has been causing real difficulties within the industry.

In 2004 wine sales in supermarkets dropped by three per cent when compared to the previous year, and exports fell over the same period.

One of the largest wine trade fairs has taken place in the south of France over the last few days with producers calling for government support.

But others have turned to violence with banks and tax offices targeted, as well as lorries carrying foreign wines.

The trade journal Food Production Daily takes a long look at the situation in France noting that the EU intends to look at the situation across the whole of Europe.

But for now many wine producers are set to struggle if they do not improve the quality of their produce, or look to market themselves more effectively.

The world market for wine is expected to grow, but France is likely to slip from being the largest consumer, meaning French producers are set to face competition both at home and abroad.

Comments

[Gerard]

Bonjour:>)

Yes indeed, the French viticulteurs need to wake up, wine making is big business here in California, and so it is in Australia, with a marketing much more agressive...
Asking for help to the government is only pushing back the problem...here is something I wrote "June 2005" ( obviously this is not a new problem)in one of my blogs in french.

"Les viticulteurs se plaignent de la concurence des pays comme le Chile, l'espagne ou l'argentine, ca c'est rien.

Ici aux etats unis la production du vin a fait d'enorme progres, les vins francais ne sont plus favorise, les vins californien sont comparables ou meilleur.

Les Australiens aussi s'y mettent a la production.
Leur system de vente est aussi tres agressif.

Alors vous pouvez continuer a rouspeter mais ca ne changera pas grand chose, a moins que vous adoptiez des methodes de marketing un peu plus agressives et que vous vous regroupiez et vous mettent d'accord sur une strategie a prendre sans pour autant la faire payer aux francais.

Oui car toutes subvention ou problemes que vous creez avec vos manisfestations touchent le petit gars bien plus que les riches. "