On December 7th, 2023, the French melon sector will gather at the CTIFL center in Balandran for the French National Melon Day. Operators have not met at CTIFL since 2006, when the last melon day was held. This year, 150 participants are expected to attend “the large-scale national meeting,” from both upstream and downstream sectors (seed producers, growers and distributors), in order to take stock and discuss technical developments and market prospects.
© CTIFL
A 360° event
The melon will be analyzed from every angle, from production to marketing and experimentation. Innovations with new varieties (yield, taste) will be discussed, as well as cultivation practices, protection methods and market trends. CTIFL is planning a major event to bring together the entire sector, with speakers representing all producing regions. “The goal is to take stock of the latest technical advances: resistance and tolerance to bio-aggressors and all the new varieties (field behavior and characterization from a taste and visual point of view) to meet the expectations from retailers and consumers.” The novelty this year is that, unlike in 2006, the event will not be dedicated solely to the market. “We will be looking at how the market is behaving, the evolution of household consumption, and at research projects on the production side,” explains Margaux Kerdraon, melon experimentation engineer at CTIFL.
© CTIFL
Program:
Market-oriented round table
The morning session will be devoted to analyzing supply and demand, and the challenges facing melon production today. A round-table discussion will bring together key players in selection, production and trade (wholesalers, marketers and retailers). The aim of this first part will be to “take stock of recent marketing campaigns, analyze the major recent trends and see what direction to take in terms of consumer expectations, prices and quality.” It will also be an opportunity to discuss the impact of climate change on consumption and marketing.
Production aspect
The second part of the day will be devoted to tours and workshops, covering sensory analysis, improved cultivation practices, changes in the agronomic and taste qualities of current varieties, and pest management. “Participants will be divided into 7 groups to follow 7 circuits of 5 workshops.” This configuration was chosen to encourage exchanges between speakers and participants. “Among the 5 workshops, a visit to a total of 12 booths will be organized. Lasting 25 minutes, these workshops will enable participants to discover current research areas, such as AGRECOMel, a research project on low-input cropping systems.”
For more information:
Centre CTIFL de Balandran
751 Chemin de Balandran
30 127 Bellegarde
Phone: +33(0)4 66 01 10 54
https://www.ctifl.fr/
Margaux Kerdraon
Melon experimentation engineer
[email protected]