In cool weather, Northern Europeans prefer broccoli over watermelon

Summer has been cold in Central and Northern Europe. The temperatures had been lower than normal and it had also rained a lot. This has clearly had an impact on consumer demand and therefore also on the Spanish horticultural sector, which sells a large part of its products precisely in this region. The consumption of seasonal fruits, such as melon and watermelon, is very temperature sensitive. In much of Europe, there have been numerous days when the temperature did not even go above 20 degrees and that has been a disaster for the growers dedicated to these fruits. In some cases, the fruit has been sold below cost price. However, people cannot live without food and demand has shifted to other products this summer. "When the weather is cool, Northern Europeans prefer a salad or grilled broccoli instead of watermelon," Antonio Moreno, head of fruit at the Spanish growers' association UPA, told Efe news service. For example, the demand for lettuce, broccoli or cauliflower has ...