Fruit Today magazine spoke with Antonio Alarcón, General Manager of the company, to learn how the import season went and how they are preparing for the Spanish campaign.
Before we get into the Spanish melon campaign, could you give us a summary of how the import season went in Brazil and Senegal?
This year, crop quality in Brazil has been excellent, which has allowed us to continue strengthening our market positioning around that quality—the main attribute of our fruit and the pillar of our value proposition.
As for Senegal, weather conditions were not favourable, with extreme temperatures—very hot during the day and very cold at night—causing fruit setting problems and lowering yields. The weather also affected the size of watermelons and melons, resulting in generally smaller calibres during the first month of the campaign, although they gradually recovered as the season progressed.
The Spanish season will be delayed in various growing regions. What are your expectations for each area?
Indeed. Heavy rains during March and April are affecting the campaign, and this will not be a typical year. However, as always, our technical and field teams, together with growers, are doing an excellent job planning and evaluating the plantations and crops across different regions and varieties.
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We’re planning a campaign with presence in all growing areas to ensure that Bollo and Bruñó melons—known for their quality and flavour—are available throughout the season.
Which markets are the most important for the Bollo Natural Fruit brand?
Europe, where countries like Germany and France are showing increasing interest in Piel de Sapo melon.
Is the Spanish market seeing a decline in melon consumption in favour of watermelon?
Yes, we’re seeing the same trend as in recent years. Watermelon consumption is growing faster than melon. We’re planning to increase our watermelon offering—but also our melon range. Our Bollo Piel de Sapo melon remains one of the favourites among Spanish consumers, and our Sweetheart is gaining ground year after year, thanks to its eye-catching look and exceptional flavour profile.
Will there be a special promotional campaign for either watermelon or melon?
This season, we’ll continue building a stronger connection with our target audience through ‘Quédate con lo bueno’ (‘Choose what’s good’), our communication line launched last summer to reinforce the quality guarantee of the Bollo brand. In life, we always try to keep the good from our experiences—the same goes for fruit. This campaign will be complemented by trade actions at point of sale to increase conversion and boost brand visibility.
Is the company considering launching fresh-cut melon and watermelon products now that it has integrated Cortijo Cuevas?
Fresh-cut has great potential across all fruit categories, including melon and watermelon. Now, after the recent integration of Cortijo Cuevas, we are already working to offer the best formats and become a benchmark in quality and flavour in this segment. Understanding consumption trends and responding to daily consumer needs allows us to build a stronger brand and business model.
