The 2019 Fashion Watermelon campaign has just started with the aim of positioning the fruit in the markets ahead of other origins that compete with Almeria, such as Panama, Costa Rica and Morocco. This campaign, the production is expected to amount to about 80,000 tons grown on more than 1,800 hectares, with a production share of between 8 and 10% in Spain.
The watermelon demand in Spain is good at this time, driven by good weather and mild temperatures, and prices are good, too, standing at a very similar level to that recorded at this same time last year, as reported by Joaquín Hidalgo, General Product Coordinator of Grupo AGF-Fashion.
"The weather has a great influence on watermelon consumption, which is why it is especially demanded in summer. However, at Fashion we are working on 'deseasonalising' the consumption of watermelon by means of promotional actions. This, for example, entails the frequent publication of innovative recipes, with which we aim to promote alternative ways to consume the fruit."
In Spain, Fashion has its watermelon acreage in the most optimal areas for the fruit's production at every moment of the campaign, starting with Almería, in greenhouses, and continuing in Murcia, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Valencia, Catalonia and Castile-La Mancha, in late September. "We expect a very good harvest in Spain, because the flowers are settling optimally thanks to the good weather condition, quite unlike what we experienced last year, when it was too cold at this time," says Joaquín Hidalgo.
The sale of Fashion watermelons takes place mainly in the Spanish market. Meanwhile, 90% of the fruit sold overseas ends up in Germany. "Over the past few campaigns, our sales to Germany have grown considerably, so we are taking an interesting share of that market and our brand is gaining a foothold on it. In Europe, we also export to France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, and although with smaller volumes, last year we shipped about 200 tons to the United Arab Emirates. This year, we hope to continue consolidating our presence in the domestic market and increase our sales in other markets."
According to Joaquín Hidalgo, watermelon consumption continues to grow, as revealed by Eurostat data. There has also been an expansion of the acreage, taking land away from melons. "The growth of watermelon consumption is now steady and Spain has become the world's leading exporter of the fruit, both when it comes to the value of its exports and the volumes sold. At Fashion, we feel responsible for part of this success, since we help lay the foundations to work with, cultivate and market high quality watermelons, starting from the seed, adding value to a product that lacked it."
"Fashion is a brand designed to be identified by the consumer, with a quality superior to the average that puts us in the premium market. Since 2005, we have been making an investment in marketing, which began to consolidate in 2010. We are convinced that the 2019 marketing campaign will be the most important that Grupo AGF has launched to date," said Víctor González, Marketing Manager of Grupo Agf Fashion.
For more information:
Víctor González
Grupo AGF Fashion
M: +34 659931151
victor@grupoagf.es
www.sandiafashion.com