the Quercy melon harvest has started, and looks very promising

On a farm in Belfort-du-Quercy (Lot), the melon harvest started a week ahead of schedule. The melons are bigger this year. The harvest is early, due to the mild spring temperatures. For Quercy producers, the season looks promising. “A start to the season as we currently have, it’s nice. We smile when we get into the melon bed in the morning”explains Fabien Marty, melon producer.

The heat of the past few days has boosted sales of melons on the region’s markets, such as in Catus (Lot). “With a little raw ham for lunch, it’s very good”, comments a buyer. If sales are up and the harvest plentiful, production costs soar, due in particular to “increases in fertilizers, fuels [et] everything related to melon production”, explains Ivan Poiret, president of the interprofessional union of Melon de Quercy. To amortize the costs, the union estimates that the price per kilo should be increased by 30 cents.