Murcia is expecting a similar melon crop to last year according to the latest forecasts from grower-exporter association Proexport. With the exception of Piel de Sapo, production of which is forecast to increase by 8 per cent, Galia, Yellow Honeydew, Cantaloupe and Charentais volumes will see no significant changes from 2013. Proexport's Laureano Montesinos said the rise in green melon production reflects strong demand on the domestic market.
The first volumes will be available in June, with the season set to run through to September. Proexport said producers were hoping that temperatures would rise in the destination markets over the coming weeks in order to stimulate demand.
The UK is the biggest market for Murcian melons, absorbing 34 per cent of the export total. This is followed by Germany (20 per cent) and the Netherlands (10 per cent). Proexport said it had opened up a number of “new and attractive” markets for its members following its participation in major trade fairs.
“Murcia is the main source of melons for the European market during the summer months and the region enjoys a strong reputation thanks to the high quality of our fruit,” Montesinos said. “Thanks to the good agricultural practices and exhaustive quality controls imposed by our producers, we are winning the fight against pests such as the New Delhi virus, which has so far been kept at bay in the region.”
Figures from the local agricultural council show that Murcian melon production reached 223,668 tonnes in 2013, of which 196,025 tonnes were exported. Total planted area stood at 6,230ha. The main production zones are Campo de Cartagena, Valle del Guadalentín and Vega del Segura.
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