“Things may always be described as extreme. However, over the twenty years that I’ve lived here, I’ve not seen such extreme conditions. Only a few melons are in stock in the market, and even those available are either damaged or of the improper dimensions. Retailers cannot do anything about them because they’re not big enough,” says Thomas Bos of Thomasol Gestion in Alicante, Spain.
Spain is dealing an extreme drought this year. The melons’ scarcity has been, paradoxically as per Thomas it is due to heavy rains and hail that occurred in the months of April and May. “There no one drop of rain in the period from November to April. But when the melons started blooming in the eastern region of Spain and it was raining all day long and ruined the setting of the fruit.”
“Regardless the time of year, this period of precipitation provides a great sense of security in the winter months, and especially during the growing season for outdoor vegetables. The gardeners are able to begin planning their next season since if they have to plant between the months of September and October, but you don’t have enough availability of water to irrigate It is better to let the land bare,” Thomas explains.
The expert says that a few varieties of melons are offered in all varieties that range from Cantaloupe and Galia up to Piel of Sapo along with watermelon. “The scenario is one of the most difficult for watermelon specifically those in regions like the Lorca region. The melons we have are very rare. that are Class I and even Class II, that usually are sold in the local market There are not enough. Processing companies will also be in need of products. Morocco has watermelons however, the majority are oblong ones that have pips. They are they are not suitable to be sold in European retailers,” Bos states. Bos.
Growers who contract with contractors usually plant more in order to buffer their operations or offer their products on the market. “But suddenly there’s half the amount of product available as well as the produce that is coming from the fields isn’t of high-quality, which naturally this means that growers are stuck at a crossroads. Now, there’s nothing for them to get more products to meet deadlines for delivery because there’s no other option.” Thomas believes that the crops are likely to begin its growth in the next two weeks. “But we’ll not be able to repair the harm we caused in the beginning; we’ll be the middle of July,” Thomas concludes.
For further information, visit:
Thomas Bos
Thomasol Gestion SL
No. 8 C. Venta de la Remuda
03560 El Campello (Alicante), ES
Tel: +34 (0) 965 060 305
Email: info@thomasol.eu
Website: www.thomasol.eu