The last session of the Melon and Watermelon Price Table of the Agricultural and Horticultural Exchange of Castilla-La Mancha, held this Wednesday, has resulted in a clearly negative balance in terms of profitability for farmers, despite the fact that the entire harvest has managed to be placed in the market.
"Farmers have managed to cover part of the costs, but without reaching a sufficient profitability that allows considering the campaign satisfactory for agricultural operations," denounced the president of the Exchange, Antonio Atienza.
According to the data provided by the Table, the weighted average prices of the campaign have been set at 19 cents of euro per kilo for melon and 21 cents per kilo for watermelon, levels that do not compensate for the expenses incurred by the operations.
"The price necessary to achieve a certain degree of profitability would be around 30 cents per kilo. That’s why I say that in this campaign part of the costs have been covered, but they have not been profitable crops where the farmer is satisfied and has made money," explains Atienza.
According to the Table, one of the determining factors of the poor economic result has been the strong imbalance between supply and demand, caused by a very high production volume that has pressured prices downward.
In Castilla-La Mancha, nearly 4,000 hectares of watermelon have been planted this year, with an average production close to 70 tons per hectare, which amounts to around 280,000 tons. In the case of melon, the area has been around 6,000 hectares, with an estimated average yield of 40 tons per hectare, reaching approximately 240,000 tons.
In total, more than 500,000 tons of melon and watermelon have had to be marketed in just two and a half months, between mid-July and the end of September, a concentration of supply that has made it difficult for the market to absorb all the production at prices that guarantee profits for the farmer.
The trajectory of prices in the final stretch of the campaign highlights, in the opinion of the Table, the need to move towards a greater adjustment between the quantity produced and the real demand of the market.
"Starting from September 15, when approximately 10% of the production was left to market, prices reached between 50 and 70 cents per kilo, levels that do allow covering costs and obtaining a margin for the farmer. As soon as we sought a balance between supply and demand, there would be other prices, and the market has demonstrated it," said Atienza.
More planning and regulation of production
In light of this situation, the Table insists that the future of the sector depends on more rigorous planning and more refined regulation of production, so that the volume that goes to market better matches its absorption capacity.
In this framework, Atienza has proposed as a possible correction pathway that farmers lower the areas dedicated to melon and watermelon, which would also help contain production costs per farm.
"The advice or prudence is that the farmer regulates, that he controls, that he puts a little less; he would have lower costs and would have greater profit," he explains.
The president of the Table admits that it is not an easy decision, especially in a region where melon and watermelon enjoy particularly favorable agronomic conditions, soil, and water quality for these crops.
Despite the poor profitability, Atienza highlights that the 2026 campaign has turned out to be somewhat more favorable than the previous year's. In 2025, part of the production was left without a commercial outlet due to market difficulties, which worsened the losses.
In contrast, this year the entire harvest has found buyers, although at average prices that have not allowed reaching the expected level of profitability. Within the campaign, watermelon has shown somewhat more positive behavior than melon.
Regarding the climate, Atienza emphasizes that the weather has been an ally of the crop, so "the negative behavior of prices cannot be attributed to the climate."
The high temperatures recorded in July, August, and September have been favorable for these typically summer products and have helped sustain consumption during peak months.
From the Price Table, it is concluded that the viability of the sector depends on better adjusting production to demand, reinforcing the planning of sowings, and providing farmers with sufficient and updated information so that they can adapt their decisions to the reality of the market.