ROVIGO – Excellent quality, but low production for Veneto melons, grown mainly in the provinces of Verona and Rovigo. The season, as in 2023, was strongly affected by the rain and cold that characterized the month of May, creating problems with fruit setting and therefore negatively influencing the productivity of the plants.
“From flowering to harvesting the melon 45-50 days pass – he explains Francesca Aldegheripresident of the fruit growers of Confagricoltura Veneto -. But this year, precisely at that crucial time for the plant, the rains and sudden changes in temperature have caused many flowers to fall, compromising production. Things went better for greenhouse crops than for those in open fields, which suffered more from the vagaries of the weather. The less than ideal climate has also slowed down consumption, given that melons are fruits that are brought to the table when it is hot. The hope is that summer will really begin, in order to help sales. The same goes for watermelons, which in any case in Veneto are a marginal crop”.
Per regarding the prices paid to producers, “the market started well – reports Aldegheri -, with very good prices, as Sicily concluded the harvest first and therefore there was no excess supply due to the lack of competitors from other regions or abroad. Now prices have dropped on average, because demand is low, despite non-optimal production. If the climate improves and demand increases, prices should rise again. Obviously we are talking about what is paid to farmers, which is much lower than what is displayed on the shelves of large retailers, where the mark-ups are up to four times as much”.
The surface area cultivated with melons, according to data from Veneto Agricolturafell in 2023 to around 870 hectares compared to 1,020 the previous year (-15%). A decline that has been ongoing for years, as is happening for almost all fruit varieties in the region, due to multiple factors: from poor profitability to high costs, from climate change to insect attacks. The melon surfaces are concentrated for almost 80% in the province of Verona (670 hectares), followed by Rovigo (110 hectares). The rest is divided between Padua, Vicenza and Venice. Last year, production stood at around 22,000 tons. That of watermelons, on the other hand, was 279 tons, mainly produced in Rovigo and Padua (Istat data 2022).
