The melon and watermelon campaign is already underway in Almeria, although still with limited volumes. In the 2023 campaign, Grupo Agroponiente produced around 37,000 tons of watermelons and about 7,000 tons of melons, and for this year, it foresees a significant growth in terms of volume, especially for watermelons.
"The increase in the number of growers who have chosen Grupo Agroponiente for their spring marketing, as well as the completion of certain productions, has led to an expansion of the acreage, so the volume is expected to increase. Prospects also point to an improvement of the quality and a longer campaign, partly also due to the favorable weather conditions," says Imanol Almudí, CEO of Agroponiente Group.
When it comes to melons, the company expects the marketing to continue until the end of June, with an increase in the volume compared to the previous campaign. The focus, as usual, will be on varieties such as the Piel de Sapo, Yellow, Cantaloupe and Galia.
As for watermelons, the varieties will be the same as in recent years, namely the seedless white and seedless black, as well as mini watermelons, and the Fashion will be the flagship product. The production is also expected to far exceed the 50 million kilos, and the production season may last until September.
"This will be possible thanks to the combination of cultivation under plastic, both in the Levante and Poniente areas of Almería, and mesh and open ground cultivation in Murcia and, later, in summer, in farms located mainly in Seville and La Mancha. Our market share is set to grow significantly," says Almudí.
"As always, the challenge is to guarantee the profitability of the producer and the satisfaction of the customers seeking quality and flavor," says Almudí. "In fact, Almerian melon and watermelon have not had any shortcomings for years. There is significant international competition, but as for the product itself, it is perfectly suited to compete with any other."
"Hard work is still underway to improve the flavor and aroma of the melon varieties, as this is demanded by consumers, and one might get the impression that this process is somewhat stagnant, although that's not the case for the Piel de Sapo. In the old varieties, the focus was on achieving a longer shelf life, but now it is strongly on flavor," he says.
For more information:
Agroponiente Group
[email protected]
agroponiente.com