One of the main reasons why Almería’s mild, sunny climate is such a blessing is that once the harvest of winter vegetables and salads is complete, it allows the region to plant a second crop - melons.
Production of the fruit is so successful in the area for many of the same reasons that cultivation of salad lines has proved such a winner: Almería is the sunniest spot in Europe with consistently higher light levels than anywhere else on the continent, and that means that neither artificial heat or light are required to produce the juicy summer fruit. It therefore also follows that production is considerably more cost effective than for other sources - particularly the Netherlands - also growing at the shoulders of the season.
Almeríans have become experts at intensive horticultural production and decades of expertise and experience should not be underestimated when their contribution to modern cultivation techniques is assessed.
Although melon production volumes have largely been stable in Spain generally, there have been significant changes in other aspects over the last couple of decades to make Almería a significant supplier of the fruit to European markets. Exports have increased significantly; the season has been extended and the variety range has gained in breadth.
Production in Almería is almost exclusively under protective structures of plastic or netting. And after capsicum and tomatoes, the crop ranks third in terms of protected acreage.
When it comes to marketing melons from Almería it has also become a case of specific varieties for specific markets.
Yellow honeydew - once the mainstay of the melon offer in the UK - is being eclipsed in Almería as growers respond to their markets. Galia has earned massive popularity in the UK and is now just as much a feature on the melon shelves as yellow. In fact, there is evidence that UK preference is regional, with Galia more popular in southern England and honeydew preferred in northern parts of the UK.
Galia is popular among growers in Almería too, perhaps largely because of how well it performs under plastic.
And it is now this variety and Cantaloupe that account for the bulk of volume planted. Cantaloupe and its orange flesh are favoured in France: Almería’s largest export market for melons.
Piel de Sapo - the variety most favoured by the Spanish themselves - lags behind in volume terms and is more or less on a par with yellow melons. However, the thin-skinned green type which translates into English as toad skin, has been gaining favour among connoisseurs in the UK steadily in recent years. A bar to potentially greater market acceptance is deemed to be its skin colour, which UK receivers report confuses customers who don’t know when it is ripe.
Nevertheless, UK consumers seem more adventurous when it comes to melons than their continental European neighbours as imports indicate a spread across the variety portfolio compared to the clear preference for orange flesh in France and Italy and Galia in the Netherlands, for example.
According to data from Coexphal, the association which represents grower-exporters in Almería, 15 of its member co-ops and groups grow melons on a combined acreage of more than 1,000ha. All 15 farms and the entirety of their production are certified under the Spanish quality norm UNE155001. Production is carried out mainly on small-scale holdings with most growers in Almería producing on just 2ha on average.
Coexphal members account for some 75,000 tonnes of melon production and the UK is the third largest market after France and Germany.
Melon consumption is notoriously sensitive to weather in destination markets, and a good, hot summer can make all the difference. Nevertheless, consumption in the UK is generally on an upward curve and the share held by the supermarkets outperforms their market share of fresh produce generally at 82 per cent, according to industry figures. Good presentation of the fruit as well as high-profile campaigns and price promotions have been shown to boost sales, and prepared and convenience options are segmenting the offer further and appealing to yet more consumers.
For Almería, a strong finish to the Latin American season is more than helpful in ensuring a buoyant market and keen interest in the region’s two-month window of opportunity. A messy end of season from Costa Rica, Brazil and Panama has created an oversupplied marketplace and depressed prices for the eager Almeríans all too often in the past.
Meanwhile, for the ever more adventurous UK consumer, taste is paramount. This is where the close working relationship between UK importers and their suppliers in the south-eastern Spanish province - some of which have associations dating back decades - has really shown its worth. Increasing per capita consumption is all about offering consumers a product that does not disappoint, to guarantee repeat purchase. And producers and importers working to the same goal and often as part of the same group of companies, are best placed to ensure fruit is not picked too backward and so does not disappoint.
Although Almería’s climate means it is able to produce melons early, the February-March period can throw up many surprises. Melons are extremely sensitive to the cold - much more so than tomatoes, capsicum and aubergine - and any drop in soil temperature below 12°C can stall plant development.
Low temperatures for a prolonged period will lower yield and can jeopardise quality. But slowing plant development can help contribute to excellent sugar levels and eating quality.
This is where the close relationship between grower and receiver is vital and also where the quality guarantees offered by Guarantee Securitam under the auspices of Coexphal come into play.
The sector has therefore come a long way in the past decade with occasional regard for market demands now virtually completely replaced by scheduled plantings according to customer programmes. But there are also challenges facing Almería’s melon growers many of whom are also producers of the province’s other key lines. The three main issues are competition - particularly from countries in the Mediterranean basin - the availability of water resources, a dependable labour pool and conflict with the tourism industry over land use.
Morocco particularly is the main perceived threat for Almerían growers as north-African production costs are so much lower, largely due to lower labour costs. Meanwhile, Almería has to rely heavily on fluctuating availability of immigrant labour in order to harvest and pack its own crop. While water was scarcely considered an issue as production under plastic expanded, the availability of agriculture’s most valuable resource began to cause concern in the environment-conscious 21st century.
Tourism in the region is also a key economic contributor and is helping push up the price of land and conflicting with the interests of Almería’s horticultural producers.
But with a well represented and forward-looking industry, and lines such as melons proving so important to the province’s economy, Almería’s growers are well placed to rise to their challenges.
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