The Spanish watermelon sector is in buoyant mood at the start of its season as the confederation of Spanish co-ops, CCAE, has forecast that farm-gate prices should rise by about 10 per cent.
According to reports, the body has suggested that better marketing and sales this season in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France should give the season a significant lift. Crop volumes are forecast to be down by about 10 per cent in volume on last season to 600,000 tonnes, and quality is expected to be good. The season has just started with harvesting of the earliest varieties in Almería selling for e0.60 a kilo on the domestic market.
Forecasts of another scorching August in western and northern Europe should boost consumption which suffered last year due to cool temperatures and wet weather.
More than 50 per cent of Spanish watermelon production is exported and key growing areas are Murcia and Almería. The season runs from May through to September when late Spanish varieties face competition from Italy and France on EU markets.
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