In general terms, Costa Rica's melon season has been good, as the production value and volumes achieved were better than last year.
The Dutch market, in particular, is very changeable and many factors influence it, proof of this is that this year the season was good for watermelon sales but not for melon sales. This season, the shipping companies had many issues, such as space and coordination, bad weather in ports, delays in shipments, etc. Some weeks, the weather was very cold and there were good sales of watermelon, something that is not usual in Holland, as people usually do not like to eat watermelon in cold weather. This abnormal behavior could have also caused the inequality between melon and watermelon sales.
Currently, the Galia and Cantaloupe varieties are losing their popularity in the melon sector. Suk Lin Aju, from Melopen Costa Rica, said that this could mean that there could be a rebound for another variety, such as the Honeydew melon. "We specialize in the production of watermelon and honeydew melon and we're very good at it. Our yields increase every year, we have reduced the use of chemical products, and we manufacture our own products of biological control, among other things." This year, Melopen has achieved Rainforest Alliance certification, among many other achievements. In addition, "we have grown and improved a lot in the last 4 years. We hope that demand for these melon varieties grows. We have the capacity to respond to this market demand through our customer in the Netherlands," Aju stated.
White melon, more and more popular
Melopen produces different melon varieties, such as the Yellow Honeydew, White Honeydew, and Hami Melon variety. The latter is grown from a seed produced by a Chinese company, and Melopen is the only company that can produce it in the American continent. In addition, the company produces watermelon with and without seeds.
The white melon stands out among these varieties. However, it's currently not very well known in Europe so it is mainly shipped to the US market. According to Aju, one of their clients in Europe has been receiving this variety for years and likes it a lot. "It is also a very good variety for processing, since it has good brix degrees and a good internal pale green color," Aju added.
For more information:
Suk Lin Ajú
Melopen
Costa Rica
T: +506 2685 8500
E: [email protected]
E: [email protected]