At the beginning of October, and coinciding with the end of the late melon season in Madrid and Castile-La Mancha, the import season started for Spanish companies specializing in this fruit which serve their clients all year round, such as SAT Hermanos Agudo Contreras, better known by its commercial brand El Melonero de Villaconejos.
"We have been growing Piel de Sapo melons and importing them from Brazil for more than 20 years now," says Ricardo Agudo. "Back in the day, having melon in winter was something very new, especially Piel de Sapo melon, but every year we are seeing greater demand and, in fact, at El Melonero we are producing more and more kilos every season at this time of year. Of course, the Spanish campaign is the most important for us, but the winter season already accounts for around 20% of our total turnover."
Brazil is Spain's largest melon supplier, providing 65% of the total volume imported into the country in 2023. "Their season is quite long, from October to February, and before the Spanish season starts again with the earliest areas in the south, we switch to Senegal, from where we import during March and April," says Ricardo.
"Our company is 100% devoted to green Piel de Sapo melons. In Europe, the Piel de Sapo is gaining more and more market share compared to round melons, but it still remains mostly a favorite among Spanish consumers."
"We can see that there is still a certain lack of knowledge about Piel de Sapo melon among European consumers. In countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands, consumers tend to associate the fruit's color with its sweetness, and although a round melon with yellow flesh doesn't have a higher Brix than a green one, they tend to prefer it."
"Sector fairs such as Fruit Attraction or Fruit Logistica have made it possible to promote green melons and surprise European importers and consumers, but there is still a long way to go. In fact, in our winter season, 80% of the fruit we import is currently being marketed in Spain."
"This year, there has thankfully been greater stability in the logistics compared to previous years. Logistical costs are not yet back to what they were before the pandemic, but they have dropped a lot."
"Melon is an increasingly popular fruit at Christmas"
El Melonero de Villaconejos was founded by the Agudo Contreras brothers, Ricardo's father together with two of his uncles; part of a family that has been devoted to agriculture for generations, especially to Piel de Sapo melon cultivation. "In 1988, my father and his brothers decided to set up SAT Hermanos Agudo Contreras to market their production, and little by little, the company grew in terms of both sales and clients, and they also started working with the production of other melon growers."
"Today, 36 years later, their children are gradually taking over from them. We are doing the work that our parents did, and which allowed El Melonero de Villaconejos to grow into the company it is today. 2024 has been a very satisfactory year for us, with very stable prices in the Spanish season and good results, and we hope to also have a successful winter season, especially ahead of Christmas, as melon is a fruit that is increasingly appreciated at this time of year."
For more information:
S.A.T. 9213 Hnos. Agudo Contreras
Ctra. Titulcia, n.ยบ 37 - 28360 Villaconejos, Madrid, Spain
Tel.: 91 893 80 81
https://elmelonero.es