With the watermelon harvest campaign already well underway, COAG AlmerÃa has been able to corroborate that distribution chains like DIA continue to sell melons and watermelons from Brazil and Costa Rica, to the detriment of the local products being sold in auctions.
This practice has an impact on the marketing of Almeria's productions. "We don't understand why large retail chains continue with this mockery with the campaign in full swing. Every year we repeat the same message and many of them continue to turn a deaf ear to it. In this province, they mainly live directly and indirectly from what we, the producers, consume, and it is not acceptable for them to place products from third countries on their shelves instead of promoting the consumption of fruit and vegetables from Almeria when the campaign is in full swing. The consequence of this is that the price of products like watermelons hits rock bottom and, in many cases, they are impossible to sell," report representatives of the agrarian organization.
COAG understands if supermarkets get supplies from other areas when Almeria is not producing, but not now. The agrarian organization maintains that the products that come from third countries don't meet the same quality standards and phytosanitary controls to which the fruits and vegetables of our province are subjected.
"Almerian growers are being shamelessly betrayed by DIA and it is not the first time that we have to denounce the fact that this discount supermarket has an unfair sales policy for the horticultural sector. That is why we ask consumers to exercise their conscience and not buy in this supermarket, especially fruits and vegetables, because they do not respect our work," conclude the representatives of COAG.