Conference Hot Topic: Watermelon’s Future As A Vegetable
April 19, 2011 “Watermelon is going to save your life,” Gordon Hunt from the National Watermelon Promotion Board told the audience. This nutritious vegetable, oftentimes mistakenly classified as a fruit, was the main topic last week at the 2nd International Watermelon Conference.
Around 150 professionals from the watermelon industry took part in the 2nd International Watermelon Conference: Americas Summit, an event presented by Nunhems with watermelon as its main focus. Productores de Hortalizas and Florida Grower were present at the event, which took place April 7-9 in Miami Beach. “This is the second event of this type that Nunhems has offered. We support growers from the seed to the final consumer,” Pepe Gomez, Watermelon Crop Sales Manager at Nunhems commented. “We have had excellent participation from growers from Chile, Brazil, Europe and, of course, the USA and Mexico.”
The Conference consisted of presentations by watermelon industry professionals, two panel discussions and several networking breaks, where all attendees had the chance to exchange viewpoints. Douwe Zijp, CEO of Nunhems, told the magazine that “together, we can achieve far better results than we could on our own. Bringing people together and sharing knowledge, that is key.” During the networking breaks, the topics of conversation varied: some business owners discussed their own businesses, while many growers from other countries showed great interest in learning more about the new Food Safety standards for exporting to the USA. These breaks were, without a doubt, worthwhile for all participants.
David E. Gombas from United Fresh, Gordon Hunt from the National Watermelon Promotion Board, Bob Morrisey from the National Watermelon Association, and Ko Remijnse, Managing Director of Marketing and Sales, Nunhems were among the speakers. The presentations focused on current trends, issues and innovations related to the watermelon, from production through the final consumer. The Food Safety Modernization Act, traceability, exportation and predictions about the future of the watermelon industry were some of the most discussed topics.
The following conclusions about watermelon were drawn from the presentations:
- Watermelon is a vegetable with healthy attributes such as high levels of lycopene and citrulline, and low caloric and fat content. In addition, with regards to its price per pound, it is one of the cheapest vegetables.
- Watermelon consumption is being promoted throughout the year. There has been a concerted effort to change the stigma that watermelon has had of being either a summer treat or dessert.
- Although watermelon has never been the cause of a disease outbreak, it is classified as a high-risk crop along with cantaloupe, which has been the source of several such outbreaks in the past.
- Seedless and personal size watermelon varieties have gained popularity recently and are currently among the most popular varieties. Watermelon varieties that have a black rind have also been successful in Europe.
- Mexico exports more watermelon to the USA than to any other country, especially during the latter’s winter. However, Mexico also imports this crop from the USA.
The 2nd International Watermelon Conference ended on Saturday with a guided tour of the different elements of the Supply Chain. The first stop on the tour was the Port of Miami. Participants were shown the different parts of the Port, including the so-called “House of Pain,” where detailed, often lengthy inspections of cargo are carried out. It was mentioned that 52% of the commerce that goes through the Port of Miami originates in Latin America or the Caribbean. Ayco Farms, a produce distributor, was the second stop on the Supply Chain tour. There, participants saw the entire process, from the time the product (in this case, watermelon, melon and asparagus) arrives at the facility in a refrigerated truck until it is shipped to its final destination. The tour ended at the supermarket Publix, where the Watermelon Queen of Florida was officially promoting the crop on behalf of the National Watermelon Association.
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In light of the success of the first two International Watermelon Conferences presented by Nunhems, the first in Spain (Europe) and the most recent one in the USA (Americas), another Conference is planned for the year 2013 in Asia.
For more information about the International Watermelon Conference, click here.
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