The Brazilian melon season has started in a completely different way compared to last year. "The country has experienced little to no adverse weather and, with resistant varieties, almost all Brazilian melon growers can now produce year-round. Previously, only a few growers were able to do so," explains Frank Ocampo of TripleF Fruit.
© TripleF Fruit B.V.
"The season began early after a perfect growing period, and growers are achieving higher yields per hectare than in previous years. This has resulted in a larger supply on the market, also because Spain has continued its season longer than usual. As a result, we are not currently seeing prices of €10+ for Galias and Cantaloupes in 5 kg boxes, which we could easily achieve at this time in the past three years. September was traditionally the month when you could make the most money on melons," says Frank.
© TripleF Fruit B.V.
"This week, there are still plenty of Spanish melons on the market, both watermelons and yellow melons, as well as Galia and Cantaloupe, but that volume is now set to decline rapidly. I expect customers to switch en masse to Brazilian melons after next week," Frank continues. "One factor this season is that 50% import duties apply to sales to the United States. As a result, we are already seeing more Brazilian fruit, including melons, being directed to Europe."
© TripleF Fruit B.V.
"Planting in Brazil has expanded considerably. I expect growers collectively this year to have planted as much as +/-30% more melons than last year. Some growers have even doubled their production of Galia and Cantaloupe. The question is whether the market can absorb this expansion. All in all, marketing this season will be challenging in terms of achieving the right prices, since, aside from contracts, weekly prices are already under pressure. Domestic demand in Brazil is currently strong, but of course, that market is not limitless either."
"With the larger supply of Galia and Cantaloupe also being exported directly to traders, you can see that established players in the market are trying to secure exclusive rights to the right varieties from specific growers, allowing them to add value to the product or variety. That is what we do with our top brand, Franky's Choice, which we carry for the four main melon varieties: Galia, Cantaloupe, yellow melons, and watermelons. With the support of our partners, Franky's Choice has established itself as a household name in the melon industry and is available on the shelves of Europe's retailers and in various re-export markets."
© TripleF Fruit B.V.
Another trend is the rising demand for mini melons. For example, demand for mini watermelons continues to grow, but this trend is also visible with other varieties, such as mini-Galia and Piel de Sapo. "At TripleF Fruit, we are also conducting trials with Japanese melon types," Frank says. "We also see that more and more supermarkets are cutting melons and other fruits themselves in-store. It's a nice win-win situation, because this way they add value to the product, reduce waste, and ensure that this category receives more attention. Moreover, retailers achieve the best price in the market while removing a link from the chain. For now, we mainly see this trend in North and South America and in Eastern and Southern Europe, but I am convinced there are also opportunities in countries like the Netherlands, where costs are much higher. We ran a number of trials this year, and the initial results are positive!"
TripleF Fruit is a stand holder during Fruit Attraction: Hall 6 - C06.
For more information:
Frank Ocampo
TripleF Fruit-Franky's Choice
Watermolenweg 6
4191 PN Geldermalsen
Tel: +31 88 185 10 00
[email protected]
www.tripleffruit.com