After an expected delay, the melon season kicked off last week in the southeast of France for Boyer. "We had bad weather with thunderstorms and cooler northern winds for several nights in a row. The cool nights slowed down the ripening of the melons, confirming the delay that had been announced ahead of the campaign," explains Joël Boyer.
Although the campaign has not gotten off to a flying start, a number of factors point to a good season ahead. "In terms of production, we now have normal volumes for the season. In addition, the start of the season in the southwest and center-west regions will also be staggered, which means that production peaks in the three basins will not overlap as they did last year. Supply was very tight in the first half of July, and there was a lot of pressure on the market, with prices reaching those of 2018-2019, but with production costs 30% higher than in 2018-2019. This delay is therefore positive for trade, and we are making the most of it."
In terms of quality, the crop is very good this year. "The melons ripened slowly over time, staying on the plants longer than usual, so the quality of the first melons is very good."
Joël Boyer is serene about the 2024 season. "The good weather is finally here, the 14th of July weekend should be sunny everywhere in France, and consumption is likely to increase with the holidays. The market is not saturated, and the trend is towards a greater balance between supply and demand, so we are relatively positive for this season."
For more information:
Joël Boyer
Boyer
Mobile: 06 07 63 85 73
Email: joel.boyer@philibon.com
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