The Spanish melon and watermelon campaign kicked off with good weather in Spain and adverse weather conditions in Europe, which took a toll on demand and, therefore, affected the first exports in late April. The situation was completely reversed in early May, with bad weather in Spain and very hot days in central and northern Europe, which stimulated consumption and served to slightly offset the lower consumption in the domestic market.
Large calibres have been harder to find, especially for the domestic market, so higher prices have been paid for them than for the smaller sizes.
"Our campaign is not yet in full swing in terms of volume and, so far, the demand for melons and watermelons is not yet strong due to changing weather conditions, which have a negative impact on prices," explains Cándido Amador, manager of Frutas Amador. Temperatures have dropped again in Europe and we expect sales to slow down, but demand will improve in Spain," he adds.
Moreover, the beginning of the Spanish campaign has clashed with the end of the overseas season, with melons and watermelons from Senegal, Costa Rica and Brazil. "In recent years, our early season has been increasingly overlapping with those origins, making the start more difficult," points out Cándido Amador.
Right now, Almeria is the only available source and the harvest of the first Galia is starting in Murcia's earliest plantations.
Based in Real de Gandia, in the province of Valencia, Frutas Amador sells Piel de Sapo melons and striped and black seedless watermelons from different producing areas in Spain, starting in April and finishing in October.
