ANAHEIM, CA — A new supersweet melon from Brazil made a successful U.S. debut at the recent PMA Fresh Summit convention and exposition, here.
The Dino melon, so named due to the green stripes that give it the appearance of a dinosaur egg, is a white honeydew-type of melon grown in Brazil by Agricola Famosa. Dino has a Brix content that ranges from 12 to 16, making it one of the sweetest melons on the market, according to Rodrigo Lima, president of Crown International USA, the sales agent for North America for Agricola Famosa.
Unveiling the Dino supersweet melon to the U.S. market were Rodrigo Lima (center), president of Crown International USA, Rafael Piazzarollo and Felipe Cunha, also of Crown, which is the exclusive sales agent for Famosa melons from Brazil.
Lima and his team handed out samples of the Dino during the Fresh Summit expo, and he said the reception from attendees was outstanding.
“Dino was featured in the New Product Showcase, and that drove a lot of traffic to our booth,” said Lima. “We had a lot of retail buyers stop by to sample it and they loved it. It was a great opportunity to expose people to how good the melons are.”
Lima said that the West Coast location of the PMA Fresh Summit this year was an added benefit, as Dino drew a lot of interest from West Coast buyers.
A premium melon, Dino also commands a premium price, which Lima said is not a deterrent for purchasing at retail.
“Research has shown that customers today are willing to pay a bit more for top quality and a good eating experience,” he said. “Quality takes precedence and price is secondary.”
Lima said he expects Dino to be a big hit once product is widely available, due to its unique look and high Brix level. He said Dino should especially appeal to kids.
“Volume will be limited the first season as we establish our partners for the future. We want partners that share our philosophy on marketing a premium product,” he said. “We plan to ramp up volume in 2020.”
Lima also promoted a high-Brix yellow canary melon at the booth, which is also an exclusive variety for Agricola Famosa.
“This season we are promoting these two varieties, but our R&D department is currently working on more varieties and we expect to launch more in the next two to three years,” he said. “One of those is a yellow honeydew with orange flesh that is being marketed under the Meluna name. It is now being marketed in Europe and is receiving great results.”
