Brazilian melon exports usually decrease due to the end of the harvest season, in March. This scenario did occur in the current 2022/23 campaign, but to a lesser extent. The amount shipped in March was just over 20,000 tons, a decrease of 7% compared to February but 38% higher than the same period last year.
This went against the trend of the entire 2022/23 harvest, as other months recorded lower numbers than the previous year. According to industry experts consulted by Hortifruti/Cepea, this was due to a shortage of the product in the European market (the main destination) caused by the delay in the harvest in Central America (an important competitor) due to weather problems. Thus, there was a preference for Brazilian melon exports abroad.
See below Brazil’s track record of melon exports shipped in containers from Jan 2019 to Feb 2023.
In March, the leading destinations for Brazilian melons were: Spain in the first place, which bought 41% of the total exported by Brazil, followed by the Netherlands with 28%, and the United Kingdom with a 26% share.
Source: datamarnews.com