After going through a period of uncertainty, the melon market seems to be back on track, perhaps boosted by the range diversification. While this has already been underway for several years, with a wide range of varieties (Charentais, Cantaloupe, Piel de Sapo, Canary melon, Galia), the progress of the water melon, instead of eroding market share, actually seems to be expanding its reach.
After a period of uncertainty, Community melon imports again seem to have risen slightly over the past two campaigns, especially from Brazil and Morocco. Brazilian exports to Europe resumed, though slightly restricted and forced by a slowdown in domestic consumption. Several sources also saw their shipments boosted by the melon range diversification (Cantaloupe, Galia, Piel de Sapo, Canary, Honeydew), but also by the progress made by the watermelon. Hence Extra-Community melon imports increased by 4 % last year (345 000 t) due to a 3 % increase in Latin American shipments: + 8 % for Brazil (189 000 t) and + 10 % for Honduras (39 100 t), which above all seized market share from Costa Rica (51 700 t) and Panama (- 22 %). It should also be emphasised that the tonnage from Morocco (43 000 t) ultimately held up, in spite of the very poor climate conditions of spring 2016. Yet it is above all the Extra-Community water melon imports which increased last year (+ 33 % from 2014-15 between October and May, according to the European customs figures). They fluctuated around 185 000 t, with 55 000 t from Morocco (+ 56 %), 44 000 t from Brazil (+ 55 %), 34 000 t from Costa Rica (+ 14 %) and 23 000 t from Panama (+ 10 %).
Since growth has distinctly slowed down in Brazil, this country’s exporters have had to turn back to the European market, which had been somewhat abandoned in favour of the domestic market because of the low price levels attained on the Old Continent in 2014 and 2015. Brazil has slipped into recession, and remains much affected by political uncertainty, although economists are predicting a bounce-back by the country’s economy in 2017. The big production companies are nonetheless continuing to expand their melon surface areas. Some are predicting increases for this campaign of 5 % from 2015-16, in expectation of a 10 % production rise given the technical improvements (equipment, biological pest management, new varieties). However planting is being restricted by water availability, also required for other crops such as the banana and papaya, especially since the drought from recent years has further drained reserves. Overall surface areas have reportedly fallen to 13 700 ha, as opposed to more than 15 000 ha in 2008. Also, producers have opted to stagger planting in order to reduce production at the beginning of the season and extend it into Q1. Hence the last incoming shipments in 2016 were received in Northern Europe until mid-February. Some large volumes were still being sent at the end of the year from November, leading to stocks formation and price levels below 1.30 euro/kg for Cantaloupe (1.00-1.10 euro/kg into Northern Europe). The leftover production at the beginning of the year is moreover highly detrimental to the activation of the other sources, whether this be Honduras or Costa Rica, whose campaign begins between mid-December and early January, and ends in April. Imports actually fell last year with the campaign starting behind schedule (mid-February) due to the still substantial Brazilian presence, but also to sanitary problems (whitefly) hamstringing production, especially in Honduras. Consequently, after forcing their way onto the European market, these sources are instead targeting other destinations such as Asia. The first Honduran exports to Japan are expected this year.
The autumn period, already of little interest in terms of activity (low consumption) is less and less popular among numerous sources. Some, such as Israel, have even abandoned the slot completely. The first Senegalese volumes appear only in late November, with initially some air-freight shipments, and then progressing with containers over the course of December in order to satisfy demand during the end-of-year festivities which is barely any stronger; since demand sees a strong shift toward the exotics, chiefly the mango and litchi. Some volumes from Morocco are also sold, since this production enables rotation in the crops calendar. The varieties used however are unsuitable for the season. Tests are underway to find new varieties suited to the land at this time of year, when the time between planting and harvesting is shorter (60 days), while satisfying the very strict requirements of the supermarket sector. The tests performed at the end of this year seem to have yielded encouraging results in terms of appearance, size and sugar rate. January and February are also unfavourable months for this product, and the campaign does not generally restart before late February, with planting centred on the Easter holidays, especially in Morocco.
March and April are often chaotic because of the weather and the shifting date of Easter set by the church calendar. This year it should be highly favourable for the product (16 April 2017). Nonetheless, volumes are continuing to rise, whether from Senegal, with certain operators confirming their interest (11 400 t imported into Europe in 2016), or from the early zones of Morocco. Hence 2016 saw an increase in surface areas both in the Dakhla zone (250-260 ha of Charentais, according to the figures published at Medfel) and the Agadir zone (100-150 ha), with volumes concentrated in the hands of some big operators. Yet it is May most of all which remains complex to manage, with numerous supermarket sector operations and the development of the Marrakech zone which is overlapping more or less severely with the start of Spanish production. Surface areas in Spain seem to be stabilising (1 000 ha of Charentais), with small producers going out of business and melon surface areas shrinking in the Almeria zone in favour of the water melon. However, last year this did not help price levels climb at the end of the season (1.40 euro/kg on average into France, green Charentais, size 12). With volumes of around 3 000 t, French West Indies production is holding up, driven by domestic preference. Last year the product’s profile on the shelf was boosted by placing a French Tricolour sticker on the melons, as a reminder that the produce originated from French Overseas Departments.
Melon production is not limited to Charentais, which is so prized in France. The supply to the shelves is diversifying, especially since the green or yellow Charentais actually represents only a small proportion of production in certain countries. Hence out of a total of nearly 12 000 ha in Morocco, these varieties account for no more than 12 % of surface areas. Galia furthermore provides advantages such as its earliness. It is cultivated primarily in open fields in Morocco, over 3 000 ha located in the regions of Marrakech, Chichaoua, Kelâa and Agadir. However, the most representative is the hybrid canary yellow type, which covers approximately 7 000 ha between Agadir and the north of the country, but which is still reserved primarily for the local market. Piel de Sapo is cultivated over just 250 ha, with 50 ha in Dakhla. The big sizes (2 kg) are aimed exclusively at the Spanish market, whereas the small ones are sold on the German and British markets. Similarly, Senegal produces Galia for the British market, as well as some Piel de Sapo. The range is also being diversified in Brazil, and certain varieties, such as the yellows, took advantage in late 2016 of good demand from Northern Europe. So we can expect this range to develop to satisfy an ever wider segment of the population, as has been the case for many fruits and vegetables
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