Food, glorious food is top of the economic tree

The French food industry did not suffer too much last year from dioxin in chickens and listeria found in cheeses and cold meats. Nor from the embargo hitting certain French products in the US - like Roquefort cheese and foie gras - by way of sanction against the EU's refusal to import meat treated with hormones.

In spite of these events, the French food industry recorded an excellent performance in 1999. Its turnover reached around £98 billion, an increase of 1.7 per cent over 1998. It has increased fourfold over the past 20 years.

In France, the food industry remains by far the top branch of the economy (a performance it claims in terms of jobs, too), well ahead of chemical, motor and aerospace industries.

More than 400,000 people are employed in what is considered in France as the food industry (in companies with more than 20 employees). They are mainly small and medium-sized companies spread across France, often manufacturing quality products and ones from particular regions that make a significant contribution to the image of French gastronomy across the world.

That said, the large companies also make a contribution. Their influence is greater in the fat products and the milk industry. The fish sector, slaughtering, meat processing (apart from poultry) and animal foodstuffs are much more fragmented.

In Europe, the French food industry has just regained the top spot. With a turnover of £95,472 million in 1998, it represents more than a quarter of the European business. Ireland is placed 9th with £10,710 million according to statistics published by the French National Food Industry Association.

Another result in which the French take pride is the fact that France is the largest exporter of processed food products ahead of the US with a 10 per cent market share. This compares with 5.5 per cent for all of French industrial products.

Last year, France exported around £20.67 billion or 21 per cent of the farm produce turnover and showed a trade surplus of around £6.58 billion. Naturally, the top marks go to wines and spirits and, in particular, champagne. Driven by the Year 2000 celebrations, this sector last year exported around £5.9 billion, or 28.5 per cent of all sales.

Next comes milk and milk products whose exports reached around £2.86 billion, then butcher's meat (around £1.62 billion), followed by starch products and grain processing (around £1.05 billion), poultry meat (£1 billion), sugar (around £1 billion), juice preparations and fruit and vegetable-based juices (around £1 billion), chocolates and sweets (around £.9 billion), animal foodstuffs (around £.8 billion), waters and soft drinks (around £.625 billion).

On imports, France is especially short of fish products. It imported around £1.65 billion of fish and shellfish in 1999. But the main import item is composed of butcher's meat (beef and veal, sheepmeat, pigmeat, and horse) - a godsend for the Irish. Purchases outside France have actually reached around £1.875 billion. But as France also exports a lot of beef and veal, the shortfall is reduced. There is also a marked lack of oils and cakes (around £1.27 billion) - mainly of soya cakes - that France does not produce, and fruit and vegetable-based preparations (around £1.06 billion).

France also imports a lot of milk products (around £1.46 billion) even if it exports more of them. There's something to whet the appetite for Irish traders.

However, it is with its neighbours that France does most of its farm produce trade. Germany, Britain, Belgium and Italy are the main customers. It makes more than half of its sales with them. They are also its main suppliers. Franco-Irish trade is far behind. With around £.132 billion Ireland is only France's 19th customer, but its eighth supplier with around £.432 billion.

At the end of the day, it is the products with strong trade names, recipes, appellations - the wines and cheeses especially - that are leading the farm produce industry both in France and outside France. And in spite of accusations levelled at it, the French food industry's approach of putting the taste and source of its products to the fore is withstanding the pressure of the more pragmatic English speaking approach, that prefers standardised and marketed products.