The watermelon season has already passed its halfway point in the Region of Murcia, where this summer fruit is currently being harvested. There hasn't yet been a good demand or prices since the Spanish season started in Almeria. This is the result of a market that remains stagnant due to the lack of adequate weather at destination and a market situation marked by the side effects of the pandemic.
"Watermelon sales have not improved yet," says Domingo Llamas, president of Grupo Hoyamar. "The truth is that it has been a very difficult year. It is still too cold in central and northern Europe, which is where our main markets are, and this does not encourage watermelon consumption in any way. Warmth has to come sooner or later to Europe for prices to rebound, but I fear it will come too late this time."
"While there was a small gap in the production between the end of Almeria's season and the start of Murcia's, the demand was so low that there has always been a feeling of oversupply. In addition to the bad weather at destination, there is also the impact of the pandemic. The lack of tourism, which helps so much in boosting consumption, is noticeable," he says.
The Murcian company produces around 15 million kilos of black and striped seedless watermelons every summer, although this year it expects volumes to be lower. During the fall, winter and spring months, it produces mainly broccoli and lettuce, whose cultivation is carried out organically. Most of the sales are exports, mostly in Europe, with the exception of some summer programs arranged with Spanish supermarkets for the supply of broccoli and lettuce.
"The setting of the early watermelons wasn't good due to the rains and cold weather in the spring. Now we have good volumes, but there continue to be many discards. Also, when the market is this slow, we have to do even better when selecting the fruit and take only the best," says Domingo Llamas. "In normal conditions we would be in the middle of the season, although due to the influence of the weather and the market situation we are at a more advanced stage."
More information:
Domingo Llamas Fernández
Hoyamar S.Coop
T +34968481919
M +34619052595
domingo@grupohoyamar.es
www.grupohoyamar.es