An apple grower in Rougemont cannot digest that Costco sells New Zealand apples rather than his own, while governments keep encouraging local buying.
“We are about thirty kilometers from the capital of the apple. I find it inconceivable that we do not promote products from Quebec. It doesn’t fit into my head. It’s shocking, ”sighs Sylvain Pelletier, owner of the 15 hectare orchard Les Jardins d’Émilie, in Rougemont, in the Montérégie region.
Yesterday, the Quebec apple grower had a lot to say when he left the Costco in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, where whole pallets of New Zealand apples are offered to customers in Montérégie, which produces more than 55% of apples. of Quebec.
“There’s McIntosh, Empire, Spartan, Cortland and they’re going to get a New Zealand variety from halfway around the world. Costco should buy certain volumes from us. We keep talking about local purchases now, there are people sleeping on the switch », Hammered the farmer.
For Sylvain Pelletier, more projects like that of the owner of the Promenades Saint-Bruno, Cadillac Fairview, are needed, which is launching a market featuring smaller producers like him.
At Verger Trois Pommes in Rougemont, it was also difficult to understand why some supermarkets are turning to apples from another continent when the province has the best varieties in the world.
“I do not understand that we can get supplies from other countries so far away,” said its owner, Benoit Bouthillier, stung by the question.
Better margins
At the Producers of apples of Quebec (PPQ), we did not want to throw stone at Costco, noting that at this time of year, it is common to see apples from New Zealand, Africa from South or Australia on our stalls.
“Our packers will prefer” less discounted “chains like Provigo, IGA or Metro before Maxi, Super C or Costco, where their margin is smaller,” explained its CEO, Daniel Ruel, specifying that Costco is used to it. to have McIntosh and Spartan from Quebec.
For his part, Sylvain Charlebois, principal director of the Laboratory of Analytical Sciences in Agri-food at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, recalled that it is often the price that will guide consumers’ choices.
“You have to ask yourself questions about the carbon footprint of these products arriving from the other side of the world, but distributors will always sell products that customers will buy,” he said.
Raspberries and blueberries tend to steal the show these days, he says, but the turn of the apple will come in the fall. “Each commodity has its moment of glory. In July, it is not the apple ”, he analyzed.
Here, The newspaper randomly called IGA, Metro, Super C and Provigo supermarkets and all said they had several varieties of local apples in store.
When The newspaper Asked Costco if the banner attached importance to Quebec apples, its spokesperson Martin Groleau quickly answered yes.
“Of course,” he hastened to respond by email. Could you share these contacts with us? Our purchasing group will be happy to [les] contact as quickly as possible, ”he concluded.
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