Although famous as an artichoke producer, the Agricultural Cooperative, Benihort has broken its own watermelon production record during the campaign that has just finished, with more than 10 million kilos; 2.5 million more than last year. The staff's professionalism has resulted in fruits of exceptional quality, consumed both in the domestic and the international market.
Benihort's watermelon campaign took place from mid-July to mid-September, and as explained by the Vegetables Area Manager, Sebastián Torres, "the weather forced us to delay the beginning of the campaign by 15 days. If it had not been for this, our production volumes could have been even greater, as more watermelon was planted than in previous years."
In addition to these historic figures, Benihort's watermelon campaign has resulted in fruits of an excellent quality which have reached 11 to 12 degrees Brix. The key to this success is the excellent training of the staff in charge of the cultivation, harvest and sorting of these watermelons, which are also certified by Global G.A.P.
The cooperative's members have grown varieties such as the black seedless watermelon, the striped seedless or the black seedless. Half of the production has been sold nationally and the other 50% has been exported to foreign markets such as France, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.
Sebastián Torres considers this watermelon campaign acceptable in terms of prices. "The first month was characterised by high prices (mid-July to mid-August), with high production volumes, which made the crop profitable. However, between mid-August and September watermelon consumption fell in the export market as a result of their lower temperatures and competition with other seasonal fruits, driving prices down," concludes Torres.