This year's Brazilian melon season got off to an excellent start. However, high freight costs continue to plague the sector. "These days, you pay €9,500 in freight costs for a container from Brazil. That's almost double last year's price. With large products like watermelon, freight costs, alone, are €7.50 per box," says Bertus Schipper of the Dutch company Zoutewelle.
"Fortunately, melon prices are good, though that's very needed to earn anything. The Brazilian melon market hasn't been great for the last, say, five years, so European importers are bringing in fewer melons. Growers in Brazil have also planted fewer melons, which in itself, isn't so bad. As long as Brazil doesn't start overfeeding the European market, we can sell the melons just fine at these prices."
"Retailer programs are quite well covered, so there's no chance of shortages. However, sales toward the wholesale markets are a little more sluggish for these prices. Galia melons are in particularly short supply. They're going for around €11/5kg, Cantaloupe is priced at about €9.50, and yellow melons are selling for roughly €10.50. Watermelons cost some €1.10 per kilo. We're expecting some more watermelons and yellow melons from Brazil in the coming weeks, and the other varieties' supply should be stable," explains Bertus.
"We'll begin with Brazilian Piel de Sapo melons in two weeks. We're now selling the last Spanish melons. Piel de Sapo melons are becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Also, in the existing segments, melon varieties keep developing. They're not like grapes of which ten new varieties come to the market yearly."
"But, there is, for example, development in seedless watermelons with improved flavor and quality that keep customers coming back. The variety Lola variety that we're now carrying for the third year is one of the varieties to which our clients have truly taken," Bertus concludes.
For more information:
Bertus Schipper
Zoutewelle
140 Handelsweg
2988 DC, Ridderkerk, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 180 642 364
Email: bertus.schipper@zoutewelle.com
Website: www.zoutewelle.com