Growers helped in labelling move Much of the fresh produce sold in French shops will from this week be labelled to show the price paid to farmers. The move comes in the wake of increasingly vociferous complaints from growers in the south that they are struggling to earn a decent living because wholesalers ­ particularly buyers for the major supermarkets ­ are forcing prices down. Farmers also claim prices are being forced down by cheap foreign goods, with imports accounting for some 30% of the French market. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact bumper crops ­ the apricot harvest is the biggest ever ­ have pushed prices down even further. But prices in the shops have not gone down to the same extent, which has led farmers to claim that middle men are profiteering. Peaches, for instance, cost FFr6.5 a kilo to produce, are being bought for FFr5 and sold to the consumer for the equivalent of FFr13 a kilo. The double pricing compromise was agreed after marathon talks at the agriculture ministry. Wholesalers were not keen, but the government said if the two sides did not agree, it would set a minimum farm gate price. The labels will have to be applied to nine types of fresh produce ­ apples, apricots, cucumbers, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears and tomatoes. They will have to appear for between one and three months depending on the type of product. The rules will also apply to produce sourced from abroad, including other EU countries. But retail experts say it may serve simply to confuse consumers since most goods are already double priced ­ once in francs and one in euros. {{NEWS }}