“The melon market evolves constantly,” explains Eric Godard, manager of Agence Laparra located on the Rungis market. “In May, we were really lacking merchandise because the surface areas planted in Morocco and Spain were smaller and the weather conditions in those regions have slowed down the production. Therefore, there was a whole period of low production with a lack of melons.”
A growing offer
However, the situation changed this week. “Today, the volumes from Spain are increasing. The French supply is also growing considerably. In the coming days, we will have a lot of French and Spanish melons on the market. And as soon as the volumes increase, the distribution changes, with a tendency to turn to the French production. But the Spanish melons are also on the market and finding a balance is not always easy.”
Prices to boost consumption and guarantee remuneration for the producer
But the real challenge of this week will be to find a balance in terms of prices. “We must succeed in switching between an under-supplied market with high prices that may have slowed down consumption and a market that is now properly supplied. A balance in the prices must be found quickly in order to favor sales and guarantee a good remuneration to the producers. Indeed, the producer must not be forgotten at a time when production costs have increased considerably. But the question remains to see if the market will stabilize high enough for the melon to be sold at its fair value.”
Melons of good quality
What is certain is that the good quality of the melons and the nice weather of the past few days have boosted consumption. “Sales are good at the moment. There is no excess of merchandise or old products on the market. Most producers work on a just-in-time basis, providing melons of good quality. Let us hope that the summer weather will have a beneficial effect on the demand this week.”
Focus on the watermelon market
The watermelon market has had to deal with the same supply concerns as the melon market. “For the same reasons, the market was under-supplied with Spanish products. The poor weather conditions led to a poor fruit set, which delayed or reduced the production. The volumes are increasing slightly but smaller surface areas were planted this year so the supply of Spanish watermelons should remain limited. Merchandise from Italy, Greece and France should soon arrive to complete the offer on the French market. As for the demand, the current heatwave in Europe is very positive for the watermelon demand. Even if prices are lower, the demand will remain good as long as the temperatures are high.”
For more information:
Eric Godard Durand
Agence Laparra
62A, rue de Montpellier
Bat C2 - 94622 Rungis
Phone: +331 46 86 40 30
Mobile: +336 09 22 20 84
eric.godard@laparra.fr
www.laparra.fr