The Spanish melon season has come to an end, and the first French products have arrived on the shelves. "Spain ended late this year, which is slightly penalizing for sales, since we started the French campaign around twenty days ago in the southeast and around ten days ago in the southwest," explains Joël Boyer. But in the end, this overlap between the campaigns should go well, despite the long Spanish campaign. "While the southwest and center-west of France are a little ahead of last year, melons in the southeast were planted in difficult conditions, resulting in a 15-day jump in planting. As a result, planting was slower, which was rather fortunate in view of the delay in Spain."
© Aurélie Pintat | FreshPlaza.com
A good start to the French season
While volumes in the southwest of France are still low at the very start of the season, the harvests are set to intensify rapidly. "From mid-July onwards, volumes should converge towards a level in line with seasonal standards, while the Spanish origin will have completely disappeared from the market. The market should therefore remain balanced, especially if the nice weather - the driving force behind dynamic consumption - continues." In terms of quality, the French season is also off to a good start. "Unlike last year, which was very wet, we have not had any problems with mildew, so we are aiming for uniform quality this year. The melons have also benefited from plenty of sunshine. This has been really good for the quality of the fruit, which is bursting with sugar."
"We hope that our buyers will continue to play the game"
While the start of the season looks promising from every point of view, Joël Boyer has one reservation on the marketing front. "The only downside to the start of the season is the persistent pressure exerted by buyers, despite the fluidity of the market. It is absolutely vital that the market remains balanced and that prices do not fall below the current levels. If they do, we could end up in a critical situation of unprofitability, like last year, with major economic consequences for producers. We cannot afford to go through this situation again this year and lose money for two years in a row. But we remain positive and we believe that our buyers have a good understanding of the prices that can be charged, and that they will continue to play the game."
For more information:
Joël Boyer
Boyer
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https://www.philibon.com
