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Lack of support from distribution for PGI Melon de la Mancha
Spain
Monday 18 June 2007
The PGI Melon de La Mancha initiates the trading season one more year. The current season will be marked by a decrease and a delay in production. However, it is the lack of support for this quality seal both from the grower and the marketer sector that is constraining the PGI's national and international projection.
In general terms and according to reports from the MAPA (Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), melon production remained at a slightly lower level in 2006 than in 2005, not even reaching 1.040.000 tm. In spite of those figures, last season was acceptable to the region of La Mancha both in production and in pricing, where average levels were attained that satisfied the sector.
This has encouraged growers to increase their hectares under cultivation for the current season, as PGI Melon de la Mancha Chairman Apolonio Moreno states. However, this surface increase will not be reflected in production, since rainfalls at the end of May have reduced it significantly. "Also, we will have to bear in mind that the season is going to be quite delayed because those rainfalls have also forced us to replant our first plantings. Things so, we will have to wait until mid July to be able to start harvesting melon." The fact is that despite the generalized utilization of thermal blankets on early plantings, the heavy rainfalls during those days of May along with hailstorms have reduced the production and altered the season's schedule significantly.
In general terms and according to reports from the MAPA (Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), melon production remained at a slightly lower level in 2006 than in 2005, not even reaching 1.040.000 tm. In spite of those figures, last season was acceptable to the region of La Mancha both in production and in pricing, where average levels were attained that satisfied the sector.
This has encouraged growers to increase their hectares under cultivation for the current season, as PGI Melon de la Mancha Chairman Apolonio Moreno states. However, this surface increase will not be reflected in production, since rainfalls at the end of May have reduced it significantly. "Also, we will have to bear in mind that the season is going to be quite delayed because those rainfalls have also forced us to replant our first plantings. Things so, we will have to wait until mid July to be able to start harvesting melon." The fact is that despite the generalized utilization of thermal blankets on early plantings, the heavy rainfalls during those days of May along with hailstorms have reduced the production and altered the season's schedule significantly.
