Colombia: "Piel de Sapo" melons invade Europe

Taking advantage of commercial opportunities, which have been opened thanks to free trade agreements, doors to other countries are beginning to open for Colombia. 

In the rural area of Valledupar there is a farm that exports tons of melons "piel de sapo", harvested due to a project developed by the firm Agricaribe.

In the capital of Cesar and adjacent areas, as well as in other areas of the department, and in the River Rancheria's region in the Guajira (Fonseca and Canyon), where there are crops, they have ideal climatic conditions for growing this fruit, which has generated high expectations among many farmers.

Farmers exploit the fact that during this season, the European fields do not produce these fruits, which are popularly consumed in Africa, requiring large quantities to supply the markets.

The export business started, after the Governorate of Cesar, the Sena and the company Agricaribe, executed a pilot to know the behaviour of crops in cesarenses lands, which has been successful.

Jorge Eliécer Quintero, Agricaribe manager, said "we are shipping to Spain about 400 tons, packed with added value, as should be done with these products. We hope to send 30 containers this year."

"For the fourth time we have done it, we are reaching good levels of agricultural practices, we know how it works. 

Melons are key products for future infrastructure which has to be submitted in the Cesar, in irrigation and marketing of value-added products such as this fruit," he said.

The businessman said " crops are processed with all the technology possible, with drip irrigation, fertigation, as it is done anywhere in the world. 

And the Spanish do the technical follow up. 

An expert from la Mancha came to observe the whole process, and it has improved."

The weather has been very favorable for the summer, because this crop does not need rain, that is the melon´s main enemy. 

And you must take advantage of this situation, because there are strong opponents that export this fruit, like Costa Rica, Brazil and other Central American countries.