The annual Medfel exhibition, held last week in the southern French town of Perpignan, this year included the first Euro-Mediterranean melon congress.
The congress was organised by AREFLHA, the Fruit and Horticultural European Regions Assembly, with discussions ranging from production and consumption to plant health and crisis management.
It was highlighted that global production remains relatively stable, at around 32m tonnes, led by China with 17m tonnes, followed by Turkey and Iran with 1.7m and 1.4m tonnes respectively.
In terms of consumption, a number of markets with good growth potential were mentioned. The UK, Finland, Hungary and Germany were highlighted for their relatively low consumption levels, while their high quality demands were seen as an additional attraction for French growers.
Meanwhile, in France a CTIFL study recently showed the satisfaction of French melon consumers, with 86 per cent stating their contentedness with the melon chosen.
According to the study, 71 per cent believed flavour was the most important characteristic, 46 per cent went for appearance, 34 per cent price and 31 per cent weight.
