The first harvest of watermelons and Galia and Cantaloupe melons in Lorca, Murcia, started a week ago, after the harvest in Almeria was coming to an end.
"The production cycle has developed without anomalies and the watermelon and melon campaigns are yielding the standard amount and quality per square meter," said Domingo Llamas, President of Hoyamar.
Prices, however, are still low when compared to last year's average, as they range between 0.20 and 0.30 € per kilo at the points of sale. "It's an amount that doesn't cover production costs," said Llamas.
"The European markets' demand for watermelons and melons is paralysed mainly because the temperatures are not suitable to promote the consumption of summer fruit. The weather was hot 20 days ago and it seemed as if sales were going to start increasing, but then the temperature dropped."
This situation is preceded by a very complicated winter campaign for lettuce and brassicas, which Hoyamar works throughout the year, because of the lack of cold. "It should be cold in winter and hot in summer," he said.
"Nevertheless, considering that Almeria's season has virtually come to an end, and the season for Cartagena is well advanced, prices may rebound if the temperature rises," said Llamas.
While many point to an overall drop in consumption in Europe, Domingo Llamas believes that consumption has continued to increase progressively and that there is an increase in supply in the market.
"The offer is growing above the intake capacity, especially in Europe. That's why we are orienting our melon and watermelon exports to non-EU markets with high consumption of these fruits, such as the UAE. There is a gap in production during the summer in these countries because of the excessive heat that prevents them from cultivating these products locally. However, we are not alone in those markets because we compete with countries from the Middle East and Asia. "
