The Unió Llauradora calculates that the direct losses for melon and watermelon producers in the Valencian Community will be around 44 million euros this season as a result of a "concatenation of meteorological problems that have caused a halving of the harvest in both crops". . According to estimates by the professional agricultural organization, watermelon producers will lose 27 million euros and melon producers 17.
The watermelon harvest, they detail, "will hardly" exceed the amount of 35,000 tons, which represents a decrease of 52% in relation to the last campaign and 63% over the average of the last fifteen. As for melon production, it will fluctuate around 17,000 tons, which represents a 53% decrease compared to last season and in relation to the average of the last 15 years of 62%.
For this season, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, a total of 1,534 hectares of watermelon are planted in the Valencian Community (57% in the province of Valencia, 23% in Castellón and 20% in Alicante. These figures they mean a very slight increase of only 2% over the last one.However, it should be noted that since the year 2000 there has been 31% less area planted with watermelons in Valencian territory.
The data from the Ministry of Agriculture reflect an area planted with melons in the Valencian Community of 1,260 hectares (71% in the province of Alicante, 20% in Castellón and 9% in Valencia), which represents an increase in harvest of 5%. The decline in surface area since 2000 is also alarming and, as in the case of watermelons, it has fallen by 31%.
The official prices that Valencian watermelon producers are currently receiving are 60% higher than last season. However, they warn the entity, this increase "does not compensate for the sharp reduction in production or the increases in production costs, which on average are 20% higher than those of previous campaigns."
As for melon, the prices received by producers are double that of last season but, as with watermelon, they do not compensate for the reduction in the harvest or the increases in production costs, which are still higher than in the previous year. watermelon case
The reduction in production occurs in both watermelon and melon as a consequence of various adverse weather events. In the first place, due to the high temperatures during the planting season that accelerated the growth of the plants and at the same time limited the setting of the first fruits. Subsequently, the intermittent rains in May and June together with mild temperatures caused many fruits to spoil.
The hailstorms in June also had an influence, affecting large producing areas, especially the Riberas del Xúquer. And we must not forget the drought that has caused, on the one hand, the direct loss of production and, on the other, indirectly, a smaller size of the melons.
From La Unió they also recall "the water problems and the uncertainty of the Tajo-Segura transfer for the cultivation of melon in the producing areas of the south of Alicante".
"And as if the influence of climate change on these crops were not enough -they continue- during this campaign there are massive attacks by wild boars in search of food and water in the producing areas that are causing numerous losses."
Melons and watermelons, with a high water component, are an ideal sustenance for this wild fauna that proliferates more and more in the Valencian Community. The organization continues to demand measures to avoid the overpopulation of these species.
Finally, La Unió points out that both watermelon and melon have a low insurance rate because the current system does not adapt to the needs and realities of both crops. In this sense, it proposes the study and implementation by Agroseguro of a minimum and basic agricultural insurance that covers extraordinary consortium risks and subsidized by Enesa by 70%.
