Mercadona is committed to local products in its supermarkets and, as proof, the watermelonsThe summer fruit par excellence that the distribution chain chaired by Juan Roig has of national origin in all its stores and which demonstrates its firm commitment to the Spanish primary sector.
Mercadona has announced that during this year’s campaign, from April to October, it plans to purchase more than 115,000 tonnes of watermelons, a figure that represents a notable increase of 38% compared to the previous year and which further reinforces its commitment to the national product.
Specifically, the Valencian distribution company plans to market watermelons from fields in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, the Region of Murcia, the Canary Islands, the Valencian Community and Catalonia thanks to the stable agreements it maintains with 22 specialized suppliers.
“We work closely together to meet the expectations of our customers who demand a sweet, red watermelon characteristic of this summer fruit and a juicy and crunchy texture,” explains Elvira Guill, Mercadona specialist.
The physical supermarket and the online sales company offer the national watermelon in two formats, whole and cutand works the main varieties of this fruit: Bengal, Red Jasper, Moonstone, Fenway, Style, Bazman and Boston. “It is undoubtedly one of the most demanded fruits due to its high water content, which is why we work hand in hand with our customers and suppliers to define the quality we must offer,” adds Guill.
100% Spanish watermelon
The volume of domestic watermelon purchases planned for this campaign meets the commitment of Mercadona for local fruits and vegetables. As every year, during the campaign and when the product is of sufficient quality, there is 100% Spanish watermelon from different autonomous communities, which reflects the company’s commitment to the sector.
Over the past year, Mercadona’s purchases in Spain have reached 27.142 million euros22% more than the previous year, ensuring that more than 85% of Mercadona’s assortment is of national origin, with products grown, fished, processed or transformed in our territory.
Likewise, the Valencian company defends fair business practices and has for years adhered to the Code of Good Business Practices in Food Contracts. This voluntary agreement, which represents a step in the promotion of fair trade practices, is framed in the law on measures to improve the functioning of the food chain and is promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) in collaboration with different associations from the entire national agri-food chain.
