Francisco Fuentes Herrera is a happy man. The spring harvest this year has been really good, perhaps the best in recent years. His commitment to the Mistral and Norte, two varieties of the HM Clause catalogue of Galia melons, has yielded good results, judging by the production and quality of the fruits he has obtained. After transplanting the melon seedlings to his greenhouse in La Mojonera on 23 January, Francisco has started with the harvest of the Mistral this week. "Galia Norte melons will still take about five more days to be ready for the harvest," affirms the grower.
Recover the market
"It is undeniable that the melon acreage has been decreasing in recent years," explains Bea, field technician of HM Clause who specialise in this product. The causes are, in the first place, the early arrival of melons from other countries, like Brazil, at a time of the year when Almeria used to dominate the markets.
Also, the race to be first in the markets has often taken a toll on the product's quality, as the melons have not been harvested at the optimum ripening stage. Both factors have triggered the loss of prominence of Almeria-grown melons in the European markets. However, HM Clause is committed to enhance the standards of the province's melons in terms of qualities like their flavour and texture.
Quality and taste
"I am very satisfied with this year's production," stresses Francisco Fuentes, who assures that this year he will get up to six kilos of Mistral melons per square metre. "Last year I got four and a half, and in the previous one I got three. This year the weather has helped a lot in the fruit's setting, but it's definitely a great product."
The taste and the quality of the product are the most important aspects this season, not only for HM Clause, but for all the professionals who are devoted to this sector. The varieties supplied by this seed company seem to confirm the direction that the sector is taking to adapt to consumer demands. "There is a lot of interest in melons being harvested when they have reached over 10 Brix degrees, which is guaranteed with the Mistral and Norte. This year I have harvested melons with up to 16 Brix degrees," assures Francisco.
As far as the market is concerned, the production goes to both the domestic and the European market. The largest specimens, known as "of three or four pieces" because of the packaging, are for domestic consumption, while the smallest (five or six pieces) are shipped to destinations across Europe. The goal, therefore, is to get small specimens for export, as it is a more attractive market for Almerian producers. Francisco has decided to market the product through Grupo Agroponiente, which is responsible for preparing the product for each destination.
Source: lavozdealmeria.es
