Melon producers in the Spanish region of Murcia are set to reduce their production by 10 per cent this season, as a result of a decrease in consumption in Europe, according to a leading export association.
Murcian melon and watermelon growers expect to see a reduction in the hectares dedicated to the production of these products by 10 per cent this season compared with the year before, said Proexport.
“The entire region of Murcia will reduce the hectares dedicated to melon production because supermarkets are not paying the necessary amounts to maintain production levels,” said Laureano Montesinos, president of Proexport’s melon and watermelon group.
Mr Montesinos said the expected fall in production was the culmination of “several years of campaigns with negative results”, adding that melon growers could not sustain returns from supermarkets that were below the cost of production.
According to official data from Murcia’s department of agriculture, the region exported 150,858 tonnes of melons last year, which amounted to a 19 per cent fall compared with the year before, and 66,286 tonnes of watermelons – equivalent to a 12 fall year-on-year.
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