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ARCHIVED - Spanish heatwave pushes watermelons to record prices
Half a watermelon now costs almost 6 euros in some parts of Spain
All of Spain is melting in the latest heatwave, which is finally expected to subside slightly over the coming weekend. Staying cool at home, by using air-conditioning or fans, has already pushed up the price of electricity to unprecedented levels, but an unexpected casualty has been beachgoers' favourite snacks: melons and watermelons.
At the beginning of the week, just half a watermelon would have set you back a shocking 5.65 euros in Madrid, with farmers blaming the heavy rains earlier in the year for decimating crops, leading to a serious supply issue.
Antonio Moreno, a farmer in the Region of Murcia and head of the national fruit and vegetable area of the UPA (Union of Small Farmers) explained that the March storms “ruined” the early harvests of melon and watermelon.
"We have entered the market later than usual. This has led to a very significant price increase."
Spanish watermelons are also in demand all across Europe, and the slow yield of fruit, coupled with the lack of fertiliser since the war in Ukraine began, is killing the profitability of farms. The price of watermelons at origin has more than tripled compared to the same period last year, rising from 21 cents to 81 cents per kilo.
Unfortunately, the increase comes as no great surprise since inflation, mainly in food, in Spain ballooned in May to levels not seen since 1994. The good news though is that farmers believe that the cost of melons and watermelons in supermarkets will stabilise in mid-June.
"As soon as the next production from Levante (Almeria and Murcia) and the one that comes from other areas, such as Castilla-La Mancha, start to enter, then it will be balanced," the UPA has predicted.
Image: Pixaby
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