Shortage of melons in Mallorca

Terracor, a Petra-based company for fruit and vegetable production, says that it will be another ten days before new crops of local melons ripen.

Matias Adrover explains that there are difficulties with imports. In some areas of the mainland, melons weren't planted because of forecasts of a lack of water. In Murcia, there was a huge hailstorm some six weeks ago which destroyed the crops.

Jaume Pocoví of the Farmers Union says that the marina variety was on sale for two euros at Mercapalma on Friday, a high price previously unheard of. He adds that consumers will still be able to find melons but they will be much more expensive than usual - "it's the law of supply and demand".