Spanish melon growers in the region of Almeria are reaping the benefits of a delayed start to the Murcia season and a relatively strong market so far.
“In other production areas, the crop has been delayed,” said Andrés Góngora, of the Almeria branch of grower group Coag. “In Murcia and the Aguilas area, production should have started by now, but it has been delayed because of the cold weather in March and April. The result is we are having a very good season.”
Demand has also been strong. “Interest and uptake from buyers is very good,” said one trader. “Output is starting to tail off now from Almeria, but demand has been constant these past couple of months, and that is something we will not forget in a hurry.”
From an agronomist’s point of view, the melon and watermelon season in Almeria has been atypical because of the early start.
Grower-exporters association for the region, Coexphal, is also pleased with strong prices for melons and is reporting prices up to 30 per cent higher than last season and production levels for the area running at 25 per cent below last season’s levels.
The watermelon sector is performing even better with prices running 60 per cent higher than in 2006 for a crop that is estimated to be 15 per cent larger in volume. Coexphal has already declared the season “one of the best in recent years”.
Almeria is the leading watermelon production area in Spain and ranks third behing Castille-La Mancha and Murcia in production of melons.
Castille-La Mancha suffered damage to 3,000 hectares of melons during storms in May to the extent that a number of the early plantings had to be uprooted and the area replanted. Production estimates have therefore been revised downwards to 300,000 tonnes from 364,000t.
Meanwhile, in Murcia production in the Campo de Cartagena area has been recognised with the granting of protected geographical indicator status for Torre Pacheco Galia, Canteloupe, yellow and Piel de Sapo types that meet the necessary quality standards.
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