Watermelon export begins from Río Grande Coclé to European markets

The agro-export season of cucurbits began this week with the shipment of the first container of watermelons of the quetzali variety, from the company Agrotropical Sostenible S.A. located in Río Grande de Penonomé, Coclé province, towards European markets, informed Tomás Solís, National Director of Agribusiness of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA).

The company has more than 100 cultivated hectares of watermelon, in which the shipment of 150 containers of the fruit has been scheduled, each one with about 1,500 boxes, most of them for Europe and some parts of the United States.

After the export to the watermelon, the shipment of squash to the latter country will begin, because there are 100 hectares planted with this item.
On the other hand, the manager of Agrotropical, Víctor González pointed out that throughout the process they have received the support of MIDA collaborators, both in production and export advice, as well as with phytosanitary certificates, especially in this year that has been difficult due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

González stressed that the company is innovating for this export by adapting the size of the boxes to better use the container, which represents an additional three thousand kilos for each one. "Which results in lowering the cost, because you can send more fruits and pay the same freight price," he explained.

He added that they are grateful to the National Government and MIDA for the support they have provided throughout this process.

Solís, National Director of Agribusiness, indicated that despite the difficulties of the pandemic in the world, the consumption of fresh fruits increased by 4%, which will result in an increase in exports of melons and watermelons.

He highlighted that since 2019, the products that continue to be exported are: bananas, meat, pineapple, coffee, melon, watermelon and pumpkin to countries such as the Netherlands, the United States and England; however, for pineapple, melon and watermelon it expands a little more to European countries, including countries such as Germany, Russia and Belgium.

Regarding the projections, there is an estimate of planted hectares of 8,056 for bananas, 782 for pineapple, 400 for squash, 500 for watermelon and 150 for melon, this would result in a total FOB value for bananas of 147 million balboas, pineapple more than 14 million balboas, watermelon more than 9 million balboas, melon more than 3 million balboas and pumpkin more than 2 million balboas.