Spanish Farmers Shift Crops as Moroccan Watermelon Imports Surge

Rather than letting these watermelons rot in the greenhouses due to poor sales, Manuel preferred to donate them last year. Originally from Motril (Granada), he is one of the Spanish farmers who have suffered the invasion of Moroccan products, offered at reduced prices on the Spanish and European market. The farmer recorded a loss of 30,000 euros due to this fierce competition from Morocco. "I had 15,000 square meters planted with watermelons, or about 110,000 kilos in total. Setting up this farm cost me 45,000 euros... In the end, I had to give away 80% of the production," recalls the one who, a year ago, had denounced this situation in a video that went viral on social networks.

In 2023, watermelon prices fell by 50% compared to 2022 in Spain, forcing many farmers to sell at a loss. According to the COAG organization, they had to sell at 0.20 or 0.30 euros per kilo, an amount that did not allow them to cover production costs. "We must never sell below the cost of production. We must refuse," fumes Puertas, who says he does not regret his decision to give up watermelon cultivation to avoid bankruptcy and try other crops. "I’m still paying for last year’s losses... This year, I’ve only planted Dutch tomatoes and cucumbers. Otherwise, I’ll completely sink."

Manuel produced his tomatoes at 0.65 euros, but sold them at 0.42 euros, so at a loss. On the other hand, he made a profit on the cucumber production, sold at 0.80 euros on the market, while the production cost him between 0.