Italian melons have grown by 40% in 5 years

Italian melon suppliers have experienced a marked increase in average retail prices in the domestic market over the past few years. This helps offset rising growing costs. This is reported by FruitNet. The paper notes that supermarket prices rose by almost 40% over the five-year period 2019-2023, while total sales fell slightly by 4% over the same period. The increase in sales prices above average comes as a result of fewer discounts in Italy's large retail chains. "This shows that melons are not a loss leader, but a strategic value adder to the produce department," the report said. News of the price increase will be welcomed by producers who will face a significant increase in costs. Francesca Nadalini, vice-president of Sermide Ortofruit, said the costs of producing melons were "innumerable and often unpredictable". As a direct consequence of the conflict in Ukraine, energy prices have risen sharply, she noted. Climate change has also created new ...