The Rungis International Market (french: Marché International de Rungis) is the principal market of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, mainly for food and horticultural products, located in the commune of Rungis, in the southern suburbs. It is the second largest wholesale food market in the world. The first one is La Central de Abastos, located in Mexico city, with 327 ha. From its origins in the 10th century to the mid-20th century, the central market of Paris was located in the centre of the city, in a 10-hectare area named

Les Halles Les Halles (; 'The Halls') was Paris' central fresh food market. It last operated on January 12, 1973, after which it was "left to the demolition men who will knock down the last three of the eight iron-and-glass pavilions""Les Halles Dead at 200 ...

. That became too small to accommodate all of the business demand, and, in 1969, the market was transferred to the suburbs. Rungis was selected because of its easy access by

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and

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

and its proximity to Orly International Airport. The market is the property of the French State and administered by the Semmaris (''Société d'Economie Mixte d'Aménagement et de gestion du marché d'intérêt national de Rungis''). Wholesalers are plentiful and the competition is strong. The market starts at 1am and ends around 11am. Clients are professionals, distributors and restaurants. Veterinary, phytosanitary controls and property checkouts are omnipresent. The waste of the market is recycled and the energy generated by the incinerator is used to heat the market and Orly Airport nearby. On 25 September 2022, the market caught fire.

Statistics

Data: *the complex covers and is slightly larger than the Principality of Monaco; *13,000 people work there every day; *26,000 vehicles enter every day (of which 3,000 are heavy trucks); *1,698,000 tonnes of products are brought in annually; *it has the largest turnover of wholesale markets in the world.

References

External links

Official website of the market

Official website of the market

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rungis International Market Squares in Paris Food markets 1969 establishments in France