“Finally movement on the Dutch melon market”

The first ten weeks of the year weren’t great for the melon trade. Sales fell behind particularly during the recent cold wave in the Netherlands. According to commercial manager Leon van den Hombergh of Frankort&Koning, a recovery is now imminent. “Normally, we would have had the worst by now.”

“Numbers from Central and South America aren’t even that high. Due to the wet and relatively cold weather, the setting was disappointing, and productions were much lower. However, sales were also difficult, and consumption was disappointing. If we’re now to get spring weather, I’d expect more movement on the market,” Leon says. “Supermarkets will have more promotions, consumption increases, and when days become longer it always encourages sales.”

Both the prices of Galia and Cantaloupe and yellow melons were below cost price levels in recent weeks. The price of watermelons was the exception, these went sky-high in the past weeks, and are still more than one euro per kilogram. “But that is only because the market was completely empty. Both from Brazil, Panama and Costa Rica, volumes were so much behind that watermelons didn’t even touch the ground, and there was practically no supply on the free market,” Leon says.