Netherlands: Seedless melons and mini watermelons perform at Anecoop

Anecoop is one of the largest suppliers of watermelons for the European market. The melons are being produced by some 30 affiliated companies. Only the best melons are being marketed under the Bouquet brand, available exclusively at 4 Fruit Company in Ridderkerk, Holland. Anecoop’s success is largely due to the seedless Bouquet watermelon, having sold over 1.2 million kilos since its introduction in 1991.

The assortment of seedless melons consists of mini watermelons (with red pulp), striped and black watermelons (also with red pulp) and yellow watermelons. In recent years sales of the mini watermelons have gone up substantially, leading to a 20% increase of its cultivation this year.

According to Lisan van Koppen of 4 Fruit, the mini has its bite-sized volume to thank for its success. “A regular watermelon is pretty big, and most people won’t eat the whole thing at once. The mini is just about right. It looks good and it’s seedless. Of course, the seedless melon has been around for a while, but it’s really taking off in recent times.”

The Sugar baby watermelon, still in full possession of its seeds, is handling itself just fine though. Production of the Sugar baby comes down to 28,000 tons. In total, almost 94,000 tons of watermelons will be available this season.