Spanish Farmer Gives Away 100 Tons of Watermelons Amid Price Collapse and Import Surge

Manuel Puertas has decided to give away 80% of his production, or nearly 100,000 kilos of watermelons. "I’d rather give them away than let them rot here," he said on Cuatro’s "Todo es mentira", denouncing the invasion of the market by Moroccan fruits and vegetables.

Two out of three watermelons consumed in Spain come from Morocco and Senegal. Would it be because of the affordable price of these products? "I don’t think so, because to bring watermelons from other countries, there is an additional cost in fuel, labor and transport," explains Puertas, who calls on the authorities to find a solution to this situation.

"Products from other countries are imported, their label is then replaced to sell them as Spanish products," criticizes the Murcia farmer, who says he has a loss of "25,000 to 30,000 euros". "We prefer to sell Moroccan watermelons than ours," he complains, calling for a solution to this situation.