Overseas melons are currently in high demand. "We've had a very mild winter so far, which definitely boosts consumption," says Martijn van Gaal of the Dutch company C. Gottmann. "The supply from Brazil is struggling, paving the way for Central American melons."
Gottmann imports melons from diverse origins. They get Cantaloupe melons from the Dominican Republic, while Quetzaly, Joya Sdls, Extazy Sdls, Anna Sdls, and Yellow Honeydew melons are imported from Costa Rica. The company imports Quetzaly from Panama, too. "This year, we're doing trial fields in Colombia and Belize," says Martijn.
"We also receive mini-seedless watermelons from countries like Costa Rica. But those cultivation costs are high, and retail isn't always willing to pay that premium price."
"We started selling the first Costa Rican melons, which arrived in an almost empty market, in week 5. The production in Costa Rica isn't much larger than last year, and the fruit's quality is good," Martijn explains.
"We started with good prices, which should remain stable for a while, especially since Easter is early this year. That also benefits melon sales in the coming weeks."
Unfortunately, we face various shipping delays, making it challenging to fulfill our retail programs."
"This week, we received the first melons from Panama, and we're very pleased with the quality," Martijn concludes.
The melons primarily find their way to the German and Dutch retail markets and the Eastern European market.
For more information:
C. Gottmann
Tel.: +31 (0) 180 620 722
martijn@gottmann.nl
patrick@gottmann.nl
www.gottmann.nl