With the watermelon season approaching, producers are working diligently to ensure everything is in place to serve their clients and adapt to any unforeseen circumstances. However, as always, the weather dictates the outcome.
“It is the climate that gives and takes away. Even with the same surface area, we have seen variations of up to 15,000,000 kilos in a single season,” says Juan López, Pozo Sur’s general manager. He prefers not to speculate on figures, as “it is very difficult to make forecasts” in a scenario where weather conditions can change everything overnight, rendering initial expectations useless.
Acreage adjustments
This year, the Águilas-based company is maintaining its cultivated area with slight adjustments in less productive regions. “We are only making adjustments to ensure we harvest according to what we have planned with our clients,” explains Juan López.
Regarding consumption trends, in 2024, Spanish households purchased 3% more watermelon than the previous year. This increase was expected, as the supply was greater than in the 2023 season, a year marked by low availability, López recalls. For this year, expectations remain in line with agricultural organizations’ forecasts, which predict a stable surface area compared to last season.
In addition to white, black, and striped watermelon, Pozo Sur’s portfolio includes leafy products such as iceberg lettuce, Little Gem, romaine, mini romaine, pak choi, eggplant, pumpkin, and, for the past two years, pitahaya.
Disparity Between Production Costs and Retail Prices
One of the ongoing challenges in the sector is the rising production costs, which companies have been struggling with in recent years. López highlights this issue:
“Production costs are rising significantly faster than their reflection in retail prices. Efficiency improvements are ongoing, but so are the costs.”
