Lidl and the Ministry of Agriculture announced: the domestic melon season has begun

Lidl has been providing special support to Hungarian producers and farmers through its supplier program for more than a decade and is working to ensure that as many domestic products as possible can be placed on store shelves. As a result, the discount chain now works with more than 500 Hungarian suppliers, whose nearly 6,000 products are available in Lidl stores, which is a guarantee of high quality, favorable prices and sustainability. In addition, about a third of the suppliers also export, which is a particularly great result.

The program is also crucial for domestic watermelon growers, as it means a secure market for them. Last year, Lidl sold more than ever before, a total of more than 16 thousand tons of Hungarian watermelons at home, which represents a 52% increase in volume compared to the previous year. The outstanding quantity is clearly demonstrated by the fact that these 16 thousand tons of melons arrived at the logistics centers via 667 semi-trailer trucks. In addition, there is also a strong demand for Hungarian watermelons in the export market: last year, about 3 billion forints worth of them reached Lidl stores abroad.

Good melon season expected this year

The start of this year’s melon season was opened by Lidl and the Ministry of Agriculture at a joint press conference. At the event, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy drew attention to the fact that the melon season will start later this year, and that the harvest will be of good quality, according to all indications. The domestic watermelon production area is 3,590 hectares, which is essentially the same as last year, and 707 hectares for cantaloupe, which represents a significant annual increase of 62 percent. The quality of Hungarian melons surpasses imported products: the domestic climatic conditions and the daily temperature fluctuations contribute to their enjoyment value with a harmonious sugar-acid ratio.

“Let’s try the delicious Hungarian melon as many as possible, because in addition to the fact that it is always good to eat in the heat, we also help domestic producers with it.”

– added the Minister.

Zita Szlavikovics, the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Lidl Hungary, emphasized in her speech

“As a responsible and ethical company, we are committed to supporting Hungarian suppliers, the Hungarian economy and agriculture. However, our cooperation with our suppliers does not stop at the national border. Hungarian watermelons are now famous far and wide and we are proud that our partners exported to five European countries through the Lidl network last year, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Poland and Lithuania. The international network not only means new markets, but also further stability, predictability and development opportunities for them. It is also clear proof that Hungarian agriculture is competitive on the international stage as well” – and then she added regarding this season: “The first domestic watermelon shipment arrived today, and from the beginning of July we will offer exclusively domestic watermelons to our customers in all Lidl stores.”

The supermarket chain is doing its best to serve all needs. Based on Lidl’s experience, regular seeded watermelons remain the most popular among customers, but seedless, mini, and yellow-skinned varieties are also increasingly popular and will also be available in the range.