"Currently, the melon market is a bit flooded because the harvest has been condensed into a few weeks. Prices are rather at a low rate and are quite stable. However, I think there will be a shortage of product in the coming weeks, precisely because all the fruit is starting to ripen exactly now," said Cristiano Lorenzini of the Italian company Lorenzini Naturamica.
"The weather conditions are causing a lot of fruits to ripen at the same time, but the quality is not affected. The opposite is true, as the lack of rain guarantees optimal quality and shelf life. We grow our melons on about 380 hectares in different areas in Italy. This way we distribute our sales over time and stay on the market as long as possible. This area in Mantua is where the largest volumes of smooth melons are grown."
Lorenzini is very satisfied about the good sales in foreign markets. The company exports to Switzerland, France, Great Britain and Dubai, among others. "At the moment we export about 20% of our melons," said Lorenzini.
Lorenzini has chosen to focus on quality monitoring for many years. "As early as 1997, we bought a laser analyzer to differentiate the melons based on their Brix value. Since then, the technology has continued to evolve. Next, we took to reinventing the laser marking of each melon so that consumers are informed of what they are about to eat. The code on each piece of fruit that can be typed into our website to track the melons. It's like an ID card, with date and place of harvest and Brix value for each fruit."
These unique factors allowed Lorenzini to stand out among the top brands, even in today's difficult economic context. The product is marketed under the brand name, with a Brix value between 14 and 18.
"We are active in many wholesale markets and we can also guarantee our high-quality products in supermarkets thanks to the fact that a lot of chains have started to promote well-known Italian brands that are able to guarantee quality that is very different from the mass product."
(In the chart, melon varieties on the left and months on the top)
With regard to the production costs, Lorenzini said that the situation is worrying everyone this year. "In order to keep costs under control, we do a weekly assessment because we can't afford to be late on some extra expenses. We also do this because we strongly believe in the social value of a business. We always try to put people first, because we feel a responsibility towards our circa 300 employees and their families."
For more information: 
Lorenzini Naturamica
Via M. Buonarroti, 15
46028 Sermide (MN)
+39 0386 915279
marketing@lorenzininaturamica.com
www.lorenzininaturamica.com