Spotlight on Melons: Kissed by the moon?

Chinese legend has it that melons grew from moonlight spilling to Earth, bringing good fortune and health to those who ate them.

Given their sweet, juicy taste, enticing aroma, alluring colors, and healthful properties—who could argue?

Very few, it turns out. Melons are consumed daily worldwide, and according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, watermelon is among the three most consumed fruits in the world.

There are over 300 varieties of watermelon cultivated in the United States and Latin America. They range in size from very large to small, in seedless, seeded, and with traditional red or yellow flesh.

Joining watermelon in popularity are cantaloupe and honeydew.

Among the higher demand cultivars are Galia, Hami, Origami, and the ‘Kiss’ family—Sugar, Honey, and Summer—all varieties developed to meet the demands of the marketplace for flavor, availability, and shelf life.

Growers and Regions

Fortunately for the domestic market, the United States is a significant producer, ranking in the top ten worldwide. States with major production include Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, and Arizona.

Florida grows about 30 percent of the nation’s watermelon, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), along with a plethora of other melons.

Georgia is another watermelon powerhouse, while California produces 90 percent of the country’s cantaloupe and honeydew.

Texas is the next most notable producer of watermelon, followed by Arizona, with several other states adding to supply for this summertime favorite.

While the United States is the biggest volume melon grower in the Western hemisphere, nearby countries including Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras represent significant exports of this fast-growing category.

And with the surge of melon sales from Memorial Day to Labor Day, steady supply is crucial to a successful produce department.

Competition

Among growers and shippers, some believe melons compete with other produce items during peak season and others don’t see it that way.  

Miguel Suarez, Sr., managing member of MAS Melons & Grapes, LLC BB #:158291 in Rio Rico, AZ, is of the latter group.

“Melons don’t compete with other fruits—they’re their own category,” he states. “In stores, people buy what they can afford. Melons are cheaper per pound than grapes.” 

Heriberto Hernandez, in sales for grower, packer, and distributor Del Mar BB #:111872 in Westley, CA, has a different take. “In July through October, our only competition is melons from other states. After Labor Day, we’re competing with fall items such as new crop apples.”

Barry Zwillinger, managing member of grower-shipper and distributor Legend Produce, LLC BB #:164487 in Scottsdale, AZ, says, “Melons compete with other fruits in the stand, and therefore, our job is to ensure our melons are not only the best melons, but that they also compare or surpass the consumer eating experience of other fruits.”

Cultivation

Hot, dry weather is ideal for developing the sugars in melon. They do best and yield the sweetest fruit when gently irrigated, though water can be an issue in some regions. Weather, of course, can be a challenge everywhere.  

“The early spring season was almost normal,” reports Saurez. “In Northern Mexico, Southern Arizona, and in California we can sometimes get frost, but we’ve been experiencing a warming trend. This year we’re focusing more on melons as opposed to grapes. We’ve planted 30 precent more acreage.”

According to Zwillinger, “The last three years have been very similar—cool weather in April, which has delayed harvest by a couple of weeks. We move around Arizona and California to wherever the best conditions are for growing the best tasting melons.

“We move up the coast to take advantage of the cooler temperatures,” he adds. “We harvest Arizona crops in May before the June heat, then July in California. Through October in Patterson, CA we grow the specialty melons.

“It’s important to grow only where the weather is best. I’m swimming upstream—none of varieties of melons I grow will yield like a Harper cantaloupe, but it’s worth it for the exceptional flavor specialty melons yield.”

Hernandez has high hopes for Del Mar’s offerings this season.

“We planted the last week of March; conditions in the Central Valley have been close to ideal and we’re hoping to harvest in the last week of June.

“Last year, we had a heatwave in July which pushed the crop forward a bit, but the past two years there’s been nothing dramatic.”

Tempting New Varieties

While there are many tried-and-true varieties, growers continue to experiment, looking for the next big thing.

“This is the first year of production for Oh Baby, which has a shell like a cantaloupe but sweet, creamy honeydew-like flesh,” notes Zwillinger.

“The goal is to get up to 30,000 to 40,000 per week in the next couple of weeks. I try about 150 varieties a year. It took six years for the Origami to get into production for commercial volume.

“Our mission is to increase melon consumption—we’ve worked with seed breeders and growers to make flavor the most important criteria for our melons.

“From the development of the Origami cantaloupe to the new partnership with Kiss Melons, our goal is to build programs that give consumers the best eating experience.”

In addition to must-have flavor, Suarez notes two other important factors: cost and size. “There are a few new varieties and fortunately for growers and distributors, there are no royalties, unlike other crops.

“Size is important to growers—the bigger the fruit, the less needed to fill the box, so we sell more boxes. Size and taste are important to profitability.”

When it comes to consumers, size matters too.

“When selling per piece, consumers will purchase the biggest melons, as it’s perceived as the better value,” observes Saurez.

“If being sold per pound, consumers gravitate to medium melons, depending on how they’re going to use them.”

And for consumers who want something unique, like a large, blocky seedless watermelon, Hernandez adds, “In the last few years, Black Diamond with dark green skin and dark red flesh have created interest in stores.”

Shipping and Trade

In recent years, 37 percent of melons consumed in the United States were imported and the numbers continue to climb. Guatemala is a top source, along with significant supply coming from Mexico and Honduras as well.

During the winter months Guatemala and Honduras are heavy shippers to the United States.

Each 40-foot container can hold 1,200 cartons on a voyage of a couple of weeks. While this keeps supply consistent, sometimes exported fruit is picked early to make shipping dates, and the fruit can be less flavorful or sweet than riper melons.

Closer harvest locations mean relatively short, refrigerated truck journeys, not by ship, which is why many melon experts prefer domestic fruit.

“For ten months of the year, we ship melons grown in mostly in Mexico to the western states and 75 to 80 percent of Central American fruit ships to the East Coast,” explains Suarez.

“In the winter months,” he continues, “80 percent of melons are shipped to the West Coast and 20 percent to the Midwest. In the spring/summer season, Mexico covers the whole United States for melons.”

How much shipments from Central America will change due to tariffs remains to be seen. Many in the greater food industry are talking about higher prices, from grocery retailers like Walmart to restaurant chains. 

Food & Wine magazine predicts tariffs will raise fresh produce prices, including melons, by 5 percent. This could lead to fluctuations in supply and demand.  

“It’s hard to say what tariffs will do to prices,” comments Zwillinger. “So far, they haven’t affected them yet.”

“Melon consumption is on the rise, partly because of luscious new varieties such as Sugar Kiss and Origami, but also because of the increase in cut-fruit programs in stores.”

The View Ahead

Despite the uncertainties of tariffs on imported melons and the vagaries of weather and labor costs, growers, shippers, and distributors are bullish on melon consumption.

Watermelons are icons of summer and consumers value their health benefits, but most all, they seek out their delicious, refreshing flavors.

“We see changes at retail where melons are no longer a bulk-only item but are gaining significant shelf space in the cut fruit/value-added section,” notes Zwillinger.

“Retailers with in-store cut programs have been successful in growing sales even for melon subcategories like cantaloupe.

“The convenience factor of cut fruit also appeals to younger demographics and busy families; this, combined with a great eating experience, is driving sales.”

Editor’s note: Be sure to check out this week’s Food for Thought column by registered dietitian JoAnn Breaux, part of H-E-B’s Wellness Nutrition Strategy team—it’s all about melons!