“French melons will arrive late this year”

The 2024 French melon season is shaping up to be rather late, due to unfavorable weather conditions. The repeated rainfalls made melon planting particularly complicated. "We were able to plant our first melons in the southeast of France, but with this cloudy and rainy weather, we find it difficult to make progress. This year's harvest should start towards the end of June rather than during the first half of the month. The first melons planted very early were expected around June 5th-10th but given the current situation, these deadlines will not be met. We are hoping that the good weather will return soon," explains Joël Boyer.

Photo credit: Boyer

The situation is the same in the southwest of France, which is also behind schedule. "We have planted a few hectares, but since May 1st, the incessant rain has brought planting to a complete halt. The fields are waterlogged and once the rain stops, we will have to wait another 3–4 days for the soil to dry out before we can continue planting. The southwestern campaign is expected to start around the beginning of July."

This situation, although complicated, could ultimately generate a few advantages. "With the campaign starting in the first half of May, Spain should be ahead of the French harvest. 2020, 2021 and 2022 were 3 difficult years, when the French and Spanish campaigns overlapped. This year, they should follow each other well, as in 2023. The water requirements will also be lower in this first part of the campaign."