The Costa Rican melon season should start in week 7 at United Fruits in the Netherlands. Gerbert van Egmond and Frank Levarht run this United Fruits division. They have been operating their own business unit within United Fruits, known as LEFresh, since July 2022.
"Our first Costa Rican melons were shipped in week 5. those growers were dealing with constant rain in late December, so the melons are a week later than planned. The weather has been excellent recently, albeit with temperatures on the high side," says Frank.
"This year, we added a third production area and get melons from Guanacaste, Orotina, and Barbudal. They arrive in a relatively empty market, so the Costa Rican season should begin well."
United Fruits receives Seedless and Mini Seedless, Quetzali and Riverside watermelons, Yellow Honey Dew, Cantaloupe, Galia, and trial runs of Orange Candy and Charantais melons from Costa Rica: all GlobalGap, Rainforest Alliance, and Smeta-certified.
According to Frank, a significant development is organic pest and disease control gradually replacing traditional chemical control. "Year after year, we make a little more progress, and now we can get through a large part of the cultivation without using chemicals," he concludes.
For more information:
Gerbert van Egmond / Frank Levarht
United Fruits - LEFresh
3a Amsterdamsestraatweg
1411 AW, Naarden, NL
Mob: +31 (0) 620 014 454
Gerbert@le-fresh.nl / Frank@le-fresh.nl