All the forecasts are pointing towards little volume in melon and watermelon at the beginning of the campaign.
This situation is the result of a strange winter, in terms of bad weather conditions, as well as the lengthening of vegetable crops grown under glass, which caused plantations to be delayed. “It is likely that there will be a certain shortage of produce that will become regulated as the weeks go by, which is generating some concern amongst the operators,” comments Javier Usó, manager of Frutinter.
The company from Castellón works with both products, but very particularly with melons, throughout the entire year. In winter they are supplied with productions from the Southern Hemisphere that it links with those from Almeria and Murcia. Its brand names Sinfonía and Usó Prades are its guarantee of quality produce, and are widely recognised by consumers.
Usó reaffirms what has become a recorded fact for the sector: a nosedive in melon consumption in favour of watermelon. On this point, the executive remarks that “the challenge lies in making the seed companies obtain a melon with the highly appreciated characteristics found in watermelons and with no surprises when the fruit is opened.”
Frutinter has an important organisational structure, with two handling centres, one in Villarreal and another, large one in Onda, which was opened three seasons ago. In the middle of the citrus fruit campaign, the capacity of the centre in Onda has exceeded 2,500 tonnes over two shifts.
The wholesale markets. It also has five stands at Mercabarna, as well as a platform of 1,400 m² with its own cold storage rooms. Owing to this market’s commercial evolution, this platform acts as a trans-shipment point to northern Italy or France. For the past 12 years, Frutinter has been present at Mercamadrid, where it attends its main customers from the national distribution network.
The company also has its own fleet of lorries that allow it to give a better service and to be more competitive.
Globally, 70% of its sales stay in the home market and 30% go to export destinations, although this percentage varies in the crowning quarter of the citrus fruit campaign (December-January and February), where it becomes 50-50%.
