Melon growers in Spain’s leading production area of Castilla-La Mancha are taking a stand against low prices and calling for a minimum sale price of e0.24 a piece.

Yields are 20 per cent down this season on last year and with the campaign 40 per cent complete, growers’ representative association Ucaman is calling for a price limit after a week in which producers have been taking as little as e0.20 for their fruit. It claims paying growers e0.24 price point would ensure their profitability.

According to Ucaman vice-president Agustín Apio, co-operatives have been successful in staggering availability of fruit this season and have managed to avoid gluts on the marketplace. “Don’t sell your fruit in 24 hours - wait 48 hours to sell it and get a reasonable price,” Apio urged growers this week.

The region of Castilla-La Mancha produces around 300,000 tonnes of melons annually, 90 per cent of it grown in the area around Ciudad Real. It is in the early stages of application for protected geographical indicator (PGI) Melon de la Mancha.

Most Spanish melons arriving in the UK hail from the region of Murcia and this season prices have been reasonably strong across the varieties as growers have planted less this year, following recent seasons of overproduction.

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