The farmers of the Baix Llobregat agricultural park foresee a “spectacular” melon and watermelon harvest, both in quantity and quality.
The strong heat and the possibility of watering “when necessary” with reclaimed water make the fruits very sweet and of a good size.
At the El Prat de Llobregat Agricultural Cooperative, for example, they expect to harvest one million kilos of melon and 700,000 kilos of watermelon, a small production but which this year will be “very well received” by the market due to the lack of product due to the bad harvests in Almería and, especially in Murcia.
The low supply has translated into an increase in melon prices between 1.5 and 1.8 euros, when last year it was paid at 60 cents, and watermelon around 80 cents per kilo.
The watermelons have already been harvested for a month in the Baix Llobregat agricultural park and the melons for about 10 days. They are two seasonal products that have gained prominence in municipal markets this summer given the production problems in Murcia, where the heat and downpours have damaged 25 million kilos.
This lack of product has translated into a price increase that the farmers of Baix Llobregat have appreciated. Despite the fact that last year the melon and watermelon were paid better, around 70 cents per kilo, other years the 20 or 30 cents that were paid did not even cover the collection of the fruits. Producers say that a price per kilo around the euro would be good for both farmers and consumers.
Agustí Garcia, president of the El Prat de Llobregat Agricultural Cooperative, recalls that watermelon and, above all, melon from the area, are products of great quality and tradition that in recent years have been somewhat abandoned due to the impossibility of competing with Andalusian producers. All in all, he assures that a product that reaches consumers’ tables 12 hours after being harvested will always be better than one that measures hundreds of kilometers and matures in trucks. “We must value it,” he adds.
Garcia explains that in the Parc Agrari the main variety of melon planted is one that, if harvested at the optimum ripening moment, can last two to three months in storage rooms before being sold, which allows the product to be kept well into the the autumn and with a high quality.
Garcia acknowledges that in recent years farmers have been encouraged by melon and watermelon because consumers increasingly value local products. “Many people believe that we only make artichokes, but the farmers of the lower Llobregat are committed to variety and quality,” he added.
