"Victor Gonzalez and Victor Dominguez, producers in the Cocle area, managed to make contact with these supermarkets, through a pilot scheme run by the company Timco Worldwide, a subsidiary of CH Robinson, who supplies well known shops in the U.S. market, which comprises of cultivating 65 acres of mini watermelons", noted an article in Panamaamerica.com.pa.

"Producers, according to calculations, may make a profit of about five to six thousand dollars per container, as sending a container with 1,200 boxes entails a price of about $14,400 of which CH Robinson charges 10% as commission and the rest is for producers. "

According to Richard Barnett from the Department of National Export Promotion at the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (Mici), this way of doing business is different because, among other things, producers do not have to rely on brokers in order to send their production.

He added that although the price of the crop per hectare is a bit expensive, as it is the order of 7-8000 dollars, yields are higher, with a variety such as Quetzali (which is a watermelon that is sent to the European markets and is commonly grown in Panama), yields per hectare are the same as a container, with a maximum of one and a half per acre, while for mini watermelons, these early crops have yielded three to four containers per hectare.

Thanks to the results of this pilot project, CH Robinson has shown interest in increasing production to 400 hectares in the next growing season and harvest which will be in October.

Source: Panamaamerica.com.pa

More on this topic

Panamanian Watermelon in Europe

March 2018

After having participated in the Fruit Logistica fair, an association of Panamanian producers is preparing to export this year 350 containers of watermelon to the European continent.

Representatives from the Export Watermelon Producers Association of Cascajalillo Unido (Apsecu), stated that in the recent Fruit Logistics fair held in Berlin, Germany, they established direct contacts with European buyers, which will allow them to sell the product without having to resort to intermediaries.

Panamanian Watermelon in the Netherlands

February 2018

The Association of Producers of Watermelon for Export announced the signing of a contract with the logistics company CH Robinson to export 20 containers of the fruit to the European country.

The deal with the Dutch company was finalised within the framework of the FruitLogística trade fair in Germany, where agro-export companies from Panama and other countries in the region took part.

Honduras Expects Record Melon Exports

August 2011

The export target for the 2011-2012 crop is $60 million, 14% higher than the $52.7 million harvested in 2010-2011.

Total exports in the last harvest were 281.4 million kilos, at an average price of $0.19 per kilo.

The growing demand for the cantaloupe variety in U.S. and Canadian markets, has encouraged the industry to increase planting.

Opportunity for Honduran Jalapeño Peppers

April 2009

Due to the high competitiveness of the sector, the country could become the first exporter of the product at a global level.

The sector exports about four containers of jalapeño peppers daily, which generates about 1,500 jobs and 100 producers per hectare.

The president of the National Federation of Cattle Breeders of Honduras (FENAGH), Santiago Ruiz, told Hondudiario.com: "Honduras could be the king of jalapeño pepper production in America and the world due to the competitiveness we have."