Melon prices are low, especially for standard produce. We talked to a wholesaler in Rimini, Tazio Zavaglia, who confirmed that there is a lot of produce available but quality is not always high. "Maybe it's because of the weather, but a lot of batches are not good. Our role as intermediaries is to choose the best productions, so we have to make choices. We know it often doesn't depend on producers, but final consumers must have the best."
Grades are generally good and there are fruits that stand out due to their flavour. "I personally prefer smooth melons and I see there's a difference in sales as well. I have stores who purchase 90% smooth melons. Traditional consumers believe only netted melons exist, but once their trusted greengrocer's tell them about smooth ones, they never go back."
"Supermarkets actually buy more netted melons, especially when there is no personnel that can give explanations. They feel supermarket consumers purchase with their eyes and out of habit, so they prefer traditional varieties."
"It might seem weird, but when it comes to melons southern Italy is actually more organised than the north, in the sense that many small producers work with a limited number of traders who establish a price and do not go below it. I believe that, if producers were to make a fair amount, we would all benefit and final consumers would have high-quality produce at a fair price."
