Consumption of wholehead and prepared melons are on the up in the UK, with Honeydew swiftly being considered a commodity offer. Although the recession has slowed down the exotics market somewhat, melons -along with pineapples - are the most popular choice within the category for UK consumers.
However, as always, there is room for improvement and compared to other European countries, melon consumption in the UK is low. As it stands, approximately 26 per cent of consumers buy melons in the UK.
Andrew Fearne of the Centre for Value Chain Research in the UK said at the event in Italy - organised by De Ruiter Seeds, Seminis and Poloni (ISG) - that the whole supply chain had to work towards what the consumer wanted to increase consumption. According to data from analyst dunnhumby, the findings for the 52 weeks ending June 28 show that wholehead melons are up by two per cent and the prepared melon offer has taken a hike of 13 per cent.
“On average, people are buying melons three times a year [in the UK],” says Fearne. “Repeat purchase rates are lower for prepared than wholehead, which could mean that consumers were disappointed with the offer or maybe the offer was not available when they were in the shop again, but either way the supply chain failed.”
It seems that shoppers are buying into the prepared melon category because the products are priced aggressively, and this cut-price fruit increases the volume distribution, if not the profit. Fearne advises that families are more likely to buy melons, where young adults do not, except in the case of watermelons, where younger people, particularly in London, are the main consumers. He also suggests that as the melon industry’s single biggest product, Honeydew is now a commodity and that new varieties of that type need to come on board.
“Think about who is consuming your product and not just the fact that you have sold it,” Fearne advises. “Don’t be complacent and don’t assume that the market for melons is all the same. People behave in different ways and you need to target that accordingly.”
Melons have enjoyed a following in the UK due to their convenient, prepared form and their health benefits. Sainsbury’s technician for melons, Sarah Blanford, believes that further consumption in the UK lies in providing information about melons to consumers, among other things. “We believe in educating consumers to know what to expect from different melons,” she says. “We have to work on consistency across the year and we need to make certain that it is what the customer wants to eat. At the moment, we are sourcing from Spain, but when we have to source from as far as South America, some [of the] shelf life is sacrificed.
“Price and quality are the top two concerns for consumers, with local production third and trends coming fourth; we almost need to make melons more trendy as well. Mixed promotions with pineapples need to be evolved, as we sell a lot of melons by mixing them with pineapples.”
Niche or speciality melon offers have recently taken a backseat to more value or standard ranges. British & Brazilian Produce, melon supplier to Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, has noticed the difference in the market. “The recession has made selling volume and higher-end products more difficult, as the market is now very focused on price promotions,” explains British & Brazilian Produce’s technical manager Melissa Jones. “On the whole, consumers have moved over from ranges such as Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference to basic and value ranges, and melons face competition from the rest of the exotic lines, like mangoes. The weather has helped as the sun has been shinning, but it is a real mixed bag.”
All around the world
But demand may not be the only problem that the UK melon market will face this year. Due to market demands, one of the largest Brazilian melon importers closed its doors last year, meaning there will be at least a 30 per cent decrease in product on the market in 2009-10. “Many growers cut down as last year was an economical nightmare for them due to rising fuel and fertiliser costs,” explains importer Mack’s technologist, James Cackett. “A major grower in Brazil went bankrupt in 2009 and this will account for a marked decline in volume from Brazil. This will obviously make the market more competitive.”
However, although this does not initially bode well for the future of melon producers in Brazil, Cackett believes that this situation will do the industry some good and prices may not be as low as the previous season due to a slight shortage on the market - giving the farmers the extra capital so badly needed. “The market will be more competitive and price will be driven up,” he adds. “Flushes of fruit will bring the price down, which was a problem last year.”
The 2008-09 season as a whole was pleasing for the industry, with only some quality issues coming through. Brazilian supply, which starts in August and usually lasts up until April, came to an end early in February because of heavy rains and therefore a low yield.
According to Cackett, there was hope that the Brazilian season would last until late April or early May this year, but the industry will now have to wait until next season to find out if this extension of the season is at all possible.
“The rains affected the Brazilian season this year at both the beginning and the end of the period,” explains Cackett. “The first wave of planting brought disease issues. By the second wave of planting, the season had improved. General availability from our supplier Agricola Famosa is strong and we bring 10-15 containers of melons into the UK a week, while at Christmas it is more like 20 containers a week. We source the whole range from Brazil, including Galia, cantaloupe, watermelon, yellow Honeydew, Piel de Sapo and mini watermelon. There are alternatives to Brazil as a source, like Egypt, which is still very much a developing source, as well as Israeli Galia between September and December. Italy’s late crop from August to October can also be useful.”
But from February, Central America took the reins from the stunted Brazilian supply, with Honduran and Costa Rican products lasting until May.
“We could have continued Honduras longer but there is a 20-day-plus shipping time and we started with protected Spanish crop in Almería,” continues Cackett. “This was the best season I have experienced from Central America and the price was very productive. The industry there has a real consumer focus and improves its offer each year. There was an increase in yield as well.”
The protected Spanish cantaloupe crop started two to three weeks late at the end of May and as a result, the market was flooded with product. “We had problems as the Spanish market was making up for lost time as it is quite a short season, so volume went up and prices fell,” says Cackett. “There were issues with quality, but when this happens we go to source, discuss harvest management and help with the error of their ways.”
The glasshouse melon production in Almería also had a difficult season with variable quality, and ended the second week of June. Then suppliers moved over to Galia, cantaloupe, watermelon and yellow melon from open-field production in Cartegena. “Fruit has been coming on very quickly due to the temperatures going into the 40°Cs,” says Cackett. “The season will finish slightly early in the northern regions -maybe one to two weeks early. It could be a difficult time in August. Hopefully, we will be able to fill this small gap with some contingency origins.”
British & Brazilian, which specialises in limited ranges, sources a substantial amount of Italian melons from April to October, with up to 60 per cent of its orange-flesh melons coming from the country. “Our focus is largely on quality throughout the 12-month supply and we source from many different growing regions,” says Jones. “Our primary focus is increasing customer confidence and increasing consumption.
“The biggest challenge is getting the balance of the right grower return that will sustain reinvestment into the category and a market where cut-price promotions are driving sales,” Jones adds. “The right varieties are important; there is no point having the right product for a supermarket if it is not right for the growers.”
A new perspective
New melon variety Sofia was developed by De Ruiter Seeds and Seminis and launched into the market this year. The variety, which is set to become the next big thing in the melon world, has a sweet, orange flesh and a strong aroma. It is hoped the variety will be a hit with consumers looking for something more out of their melon.
Melon business chain manager, Frédéric Taurignan, says that Sofia’s point of difference is its flesh aroma. “This is a completely new variety and is not a cross of anything,” he tells FPJ. “It has a yellow skin and orange flesh and is totally different to anything on the market. We have created a new type and this may be as important as when the last type, Galia, was developed in the 1960s.”
The new variety is being grown in France, Spain and Italy, and De Ruiter Seeds is in the process of introducing the melon to UK retailers and growers.
It is clear that innovation has not stopped entirely because of the economic situation and the industry is in agreement that new varieties will be needed after the recession, when consumers will feel like they have more expendable income and will be looking for new and exciting offers.
“The important thing is that we must come out of the recession without losing innovation and the top-tier lines, because consumers will want them again,” says Jones. “There is still demand for higher-end products, but it is very competitive, with deep-cut promotions. Retailers are very sensitive about being seen to deliver to the end customer. Innovation is difficult when melons are not in high demand. We need to make sure we do not throw it away; we need to increase the melon profile and make sure the product is in place for when the market recovers.”
MELONS ON TRIAL IN ITALY
De Ruiter Seeds, Seminis and Poloni (ISG), each part of the Monsanto company, showcased 288 melon varieties at the International Melon Days 2009 trial fields, in Mirandola, Italy.
The most important types of melons - Charentais, cantaloupe, Amarillo, Ananas, Piel de Sapo and Galia - were each on display, demonstrating the extensive range of products on offer by the three host organisers to the international marketplace. Among the most innovative varieties presented to event participants were Cyro, a Galia melon with an intense aroma; Sofia, a yellow-skinned and crunchy orange-fleshed melon; and Melorange, a Cantaloupe melon line characterised by an extended shelf life and a brix level of up to 18.
The melon offer is segmented according to the demands of various markets, and cultural and climatic factors also play an important role in influencing melon consumption in different countries.
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