The Spanish melon season started particularly well. Good demand combined with a smaller supply resulted in high prices. Good prices are expected for the remainder of the season, for Galia in particular.
The market for Spanish melons started exceptionally well this year, with prices people could only dream of in recent years. “The melons have actually been selling well for some months now, and demand is even higher than supply at the moment,” says Miguel Gonzalez of MG Fruit in late May. He didn’t expect the prices for melons from Central America, which were already good, to be continued in the Spanish season. “The first Spanish melons are traditionally well received by the market. Normally, prices drop after that as a result of overlap with the final supply from Costa Rica. That wasn’t the case this year. Spanish melons started high, and are still selling for those prices, which we haven’t seen in years.”
Lower supply due to cold spring
The extreme situation is thanks to summery temperatures here in the Netherlands, according to him, which increases demand for summer fruit. The delayed and decreased supply from Spain also plays a major part in this. Miguel mentions that demand for watermelons has been good for months. “Large consumption combined with a lower supply means melons are currently out of stock and there’s a shortage. This is the case for all varieties, although Galia and yellow melons take the crown with considerable shortages and absurdly high prices.”
The smaller yield is the consequence of a cold spring in Spain. Besides, Almeria also had bad weather conditions during the flowering season, which affected production of the watermelons. In some cases, the melons were planted too late because of the persistent cold in Spain. Another factor is that fewer Galia and yellow melons were planted for this season because of production problems in recent years. “More watermelons were planted, but in the end, we’ll have fewer watermelons, as well as Galia and yellow melons, available from Almeria.”
An alternative for Spanish Galia is therefore high on the wish list. Miguel mentions Morocco as a likely candidate. The Moroccan melon season is at about the same time as Almeria, although he says they’re less constant qualitatively than the Spanish production. Melons from Morocco are normally mostly bought by Moroccan and Turkish customers. All eyes are on Murcia. The Spanish production region is expected to be on the market from mid-June. Generally, the melons from Murcia taste better than melons from Almeria because of the production in open fields. The problem here is that multiple growers have stopped because there was too much production in recent years, resulting in low prices. “In the end, it’s no longer profitable for growers,” the importer explains.
In Murcia, watermelons are grown to an increasing extent as well. Miguel explains it’s favourable to invest in the production of watermelons. The watermelon plant is more resistant against heat, and grows fruit more easily than the Galia plant. “Moreover, the fruit itself is less vulnerable than Galia. This, combined with lower production costs and higher yields in kilos, mean the production of watermelons is becoming more and more appealing.”
Pata negra among melons
As far as is known, plenty of watermelons have been planted in Murcia. Production is expected to be similar to last year’s. “From what I’ve heard, far fewer Galia melons will be available from Murcia. Production is supposedly 30 per cent smaller. Besides, the harvest is a bit delayed. It could be that prices for Galia will remain interesting throughout the season.” The final production region in Murcia is La Manche, which is where the most flavourful melons come from according to Miguel. Cantaloupe is still not a major product in the Netherlands if the importer is to be believed, and this is also the case for miniature watermelons. “The miniature or seedless version of the watermelon definitely has a certain target audience. Size will be decisive in this, because I think regular watermelon tastes much better. I do see a gradual growth in demand for Piel de Sapo melons. This is the pata negra among melons. Piel de Sapo looks odd but is ever so flavourful. Besides, this melon has a longer shelf life for retail than, for instance, Galia.”
Miguel admits he’s actually been waiting for a price drop for weeks now. However, this hasn’t happened yet. “We’re dealing with an exceptional situation. It could very well be that a change will occur later in the season. For now, we’re hoping the summer weather lasts, and that we won’t be left holding the baby as a result of a good melon season next year.”
Within Spain, Murcia is the largest supplier of melons. Spain is still dominant on the European watermelon market. About 85 per cent of Spanish melons is marketed in Europe. MG Fruit imports watermelons, Galia, yellow melons, Cantaloupe and Piel de Sapo from Spain. Besides melons from Spain, MG Fruit also imports watermelons from Greece and Turkey on a smaller scale. “Spain, however, remains our most important source in Europe. We work here with a number of permanent suppliers - a mix of large cooperatives and smaller, independent shipping agents,” says Miguel, who started MG Fruit two years ago. With his daughter Maaike and Jacob Aktalan he focuses on the import and sales of overseas fruit. The company is specialised in four product groups: melons, pineapple, citrus and grapes. These products are carried year-round.
More information:
MG Fruit
Miguel Gonzalez