"Galkia melon consumption increased by 50% compared to last summer"

Seed companies showcased their latest varieties during Murcia's melon and watermelon week. They also revealed that consumers are especially interested in those varieties that smell and taste good again, which is noticeable in the supermarkets.

Take Galkia, a Galia melon, for example. "According to a big supermarket chain that works with Galkia, sales have increased spectacularly, by as much as 50% over last year. This is mainly due to its aroma and taste. Consumers who buy Galkia get the same quality at the beginning and end of the season. They know this, and that's why they repeat," stated Enrique Ballester, a specialist in export melons at BASF Vegetable Seeds.

"I think there are about 2,300 hectares of Galia, 40% of which is Galkia. Quality is key, so people can choose to eat melon over other fruits or substitute products. We must continue to focus on consumer preferences because dissatisfied customers will buy something else next time. Taste and smell are therefore essential to regain ground."

The Galia, Cantaloupe, and Amarillo are the most popular melons in Europe. "I think there are more hectares of Galia than Amarillo, but the latter wins because it is the cheapest melon to grow. It is a strong, robust plant, so when growers are unsure about what to plant, they often opt for the Amarillo. If the market is good, it will sell well. If it is bad, the financial damage is still manageable," Ballester said.

From Fashion to Galkia and SunUp
BASF Vegetable Seeds is the creator of the Fashion watermelon. "We're applying the Fashion watermelon line concept with Galkia, but with Galia melon. Fashion completes its cycle with 3 varieties, and Galkia with 12. That's because melon is more sensitive to changes in planting dates. To maintain high production and quality, we need more varieties than when growing watermelons," Ballester said.

The SunUp project "is similar to Galkia but with Cantaloupe. With SunUp, we want to deliver consistent quality, caliber, and flavor from May to September. We already have strong varieties that last a long time, but there is still a lot of research to be done," Ballester said.

Thebes and Delphes stand out among the long-life Cantaloupe. "Thebes has a larger fruit size and is ideal for greenhouse cultivation in Almería or early planting in outdoor cultivation in Murcia. Delphes has done well in outdoor cultivation since March. It stands out for its vigor and internal quality," Ballester stated.

"Our Aragorn, a Charentais melon, leads the early segment. It's ideal for transplanting in February. We saw that existing varieties were often disappointing in terms of yield, taste, and resistance. Aragorn offers good production, internal quality, and resistance to mildew and aphids. Quality, yield, post-harvest, and resistance are fundamental when developing varieties. Aragon covers all those requirements. It can also stay longer on the plant than the rest, improving the harvest, as it can be cut every two days. This year, we have a new variety in development, Cha012. It's intended for transplants in March and offers the same plant strength, resistance, and flavor," he said.

Finally, there is the Dino melon, named this way to appeal to children, which is of Asian origin. "The Brazilians started growing it, and it is now also grown in Murcia, although to a limited extent. It's popular in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. People in Spain like its flavor, but it's still not available in the shops. Our Mayan443 and Mayan510 varieties deliver high yields and strong plants, but we're still working on improving their resistance," Ballester said.

For more information:
Enrique Ballester
Export melon specialist
BASF Vegetable Seeds
Tel: +34 673 22 23 28
Email: Enrique.ballester@basf.com
www.basf.com