Morocco has sold more watermelon to the European market in the first six months of the year than Spain for the first time in history. According to the Euroestacom (Icex-Eurostat) statistical service, in the first half of 2021, Morocco has sold a total of 202.94 million kilos of watermelon to the EU Member States (195.75 million in the same period last year), while Spanish sales have not exceeded 156.3 million kilos, i.e. 116.94 million kilos less than in the first half of 2020.
Morocco positioned itself as the European Union's main watermelon supplier between January and June, with sales that surpassed Spanish sales by 29.84%. Ten years ago, Spanish watermelon sales to the EU surpassed Moroccan sales by 165.95%.
The value of the watermelon exported to the EU by Morocco was 132.4 million euro and had an average price of € 0.65/kg. The value of Spanish sales stood at 105.58 million euro, and had an average price of € 0.67/kg.
The Netherlands was the EU market's third-biggest watermelon supplier between January 1 and June 30 with a volume of 52.69 million kilos sold for 53.64 million euro, at an average price of €1.02/kg.
The fourth place was occupied by Costa Rica, which sold 37.5 million kilos of watermelon in community territory for 30.22 million euro and an average price of € 0.81/kg in the first half of 2021.
Germany ranked fifth, after selling 32.6 million kilos of watermelon for 25.18 million euro, at an average price of € 0.77/kg, in the EU.
Source: hortoinfo.es