Alain Latu (40 years old) is a friendly and approachable professional recognised for his expertise, reliability, integrity and dynamism.

"While I was born in Verdun, I was mainly brought up in Poitou-Charente, a region known for its animal farming. My father was a computer analyst-programmer at Mecarungis and my mother an accountant at Europagro, in the meat produce sector. After completing a BEP (Certificate of Vocational Proficiency) in commerce I decided to go straight into active life. I started work at Rungis at the age of 17, first helping my mother in the accounting department, and then working as a platform assistant for the same company where I learned about the meat trade on the job. So I can claim to be a genuine product of Rungis Market! I worked my way up to become sales director in 1994, by which time the company had been taken over by BBV. I handled sales development for the new entity, focusing on beef - the Limousin breed in particular, and reorganising the sales department". Alain Latu took over running of the company in October 2003, following the retirement of its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. With his detailed knowledge of the market, he reorganised the company's business activities in terms of supply and outlets, backed up by his excellent team of skilled and loyal professionals (15 staff including one quality manager).

"Our flagship products are quality beef breeds from both France (Blonde d'Aquitaine and Limousin breeds) and Ireland, not forgetting lamb from Poitou-Charente. We select the best producers and regions of origin. Beef represents about 70% of our sales volumes, with about a third of this being sales of the Blonde d'Aquitaine breed. The remaining 30% comprises lamb from Poitou-Charente (25%) and suckling calfs (5%). We sell about 3,800 tonnes of beef per year to retail butchers (80%) and restaurateurs (20%), seeking to build up their loyalty through the consistent high quality of our products. Being an operator at Rungis means facing an ongoing challenge to keep up with market requirements. As in real life, natural selection rules and only the fittest survive! In common with our beef breeds, Rungis Market has a strong identity. As a member of the Meat Wholesalers Trade Union at Rungis I believe that the Market's long-term survival is linked to the quality of its products and the professionalism of its operators.