"France: "Charentais melon market is in perfect balance"

"The supply and demand of the Charentais melon are perfectly balanced," says Jérôme Jausseran of Force Sud. The French cooperation sells around 4,000 tons a day. "That's exactly the number we need to meet the demand. There is no overproduction, and no under-consumption."

The Charentais of Force Sud are intended for the French-speaking market, such as France and Belgium. "The other countries know a little less about this product. In Germany and England, people prefer less aromatic, but perhaps sweeter varieties, such as Galia. The flavour of the Charentais can displease those who aren’t familiar with it."

Tourism helps to improve the reputation of the Charentais. "Sometimes, people who go on holiday in France want to try its flavour at home as well; the Swiss, for example. Today they eat as much Charentais as Galia. Twenty years ago, that was not the case at all."

Force Sud offers Charentais for different types of consumers. "We have the Red Label melon to appeal to an audience that demands something other than a low price, namely a guarantee of quality. We also have Organic Charentais, for those who buy it for sanitary or environmental reasons, even if the conventional has made huge progress in this area too. " 

Next to the Charentais melon, Force Sud offers the mini-watermelon of French origin. With this product, they want to address locavores: those who prefer buying locally grown products. "We have varietal exclusivity on this product. This allows us to distinguish ourselves from others, but the variety is quite close to the varieties grown in Spain or Morocco. The biggest difference is that our watermelons are picked at maturity, because the cycle is quite short." 

At the production level, this season has been more difficult than other years. "We had a complicated spring in terms of weather conditions. Here in the South of France, we are not used to constantly having rain. Therefore melons have had some difficulties to grow. This summer, it is very hot, and the current weather allows for good consumption."

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