Selling fresh watermelon? 102 of its 155 buyers used one supplier
- The United States took US$ 71.92 million, 98% of the value.
- C.H. Robinson paid US$ 0.67 per kilo; the average was US$ 0.19.
- April was the peak month, with US$ 21.14 million.
In 2026, 155 companies in 7 countries bought US$ 73.11 million of fresh watermelon from Mexico, Peru and Colombia.
Mexico supplied 98% of that value, at US$ 0.20 per kilo. Peru and Colombia shared what was left, each with its own small market.
The leader was Fivecrowns, with US$ 8.88 million. Giumarra followed with US$ 5.10 million.
I see a clear opening here for an exporter. Of the 155 buyers, 102 bought from a single supplier this year.
So a large group of accounts still has room for a second source. And 31 buyers already work with three suppliers or more, which tells you they compare offers.
I read the export customs records of the three countries, shipment by shipment, from January to the latest day each one has published. The price per kilo is the value divided by the net kilos, without shipments between companies of one group.
Where the fruit goes
The United States took US$ 71.92 million, or 98% of the value. Its 114 buyers worked with 153 Mexican suppliers.
That market paid US$ 0.20 per kilo on average, across 3,156 shipments.
Chile came second, with US$ 0.69 million. All of it came from Peru, and 27 Chilean companies shared it.
Aruba bought US$ 0.39 million and Curacao US$ 0.09 million, both from Colombia. These island buyers paid US$ 0.55 and US$ 0.73 per kilo.
Small orders, yes. But they show that Colombian fruit found buyers willing to pay more than double the Mexican price.
Who buys
The 10 largest buyers took 55% of the value, and all ten are in the United States. The top three alone held 25%.
Fivecrowns led with US$ 8.88 million, and every kilo came from one Mexican exporter, Castesa.
Giumarra took US$ 5.10 million from two suppliers. Videxport Internacional covered US$ 4.52 million of that.
Growers Select Produce works differently. It spread US$ 4.30 million across 12 suppliers.
Pacific Trellis Fruit filed 556 shipments, the highest count among the top ten, for US$ 4.04 million. Nowell Borders followed with US$ 3.74 million from eight suppliers.
Who spreads its orders the widest? Bagley Produce, with 15 suppliers for US$ 3.10 million. Greenpoint Distributing came next with 10.
Those are the accounts where a new exporter can enter without replacing anyone. Fourteen buyers already work with five suppliers or more.
What each buyer pays
The average price was US$ 0.19 per kilo. Among buyers of more than US$ 1 million, the spread was wide.
C.H. Robinson paid US$ 0.67 per kilo, for US$ 2.79 million of fruit from Starr Produce.
Growers Select Produce paid US$ 0.43 and Farmhouse US$ 0.41. Dulcinea Farms paid US$ 0.40 for US$ 2.39 million.
Fivecrowns, the largest buyer, paid US$ 0.19, right on the average. Giumarra paid US$ 0.27.
At the other end, Nowell Borders paid US$ 0.13 and Big Chuy Distributors US$ 0.10 per kilo.
Both groups buy the same Mexican fruit, so the gap comes from the deal: the variety, the pack and the moment of the season.
If your fruit earns a premium, the four buyers that paid US$ 0.40 or more are the ones to call first.
Three origins, three prices
Mexican fruit sold at US$ 0.20 per kilo in 2026. Peruvian fruit sold at US$ 0.10, and Colombian at US$ 0.58.
Peru shipped US$ 0.69 million to 28 buyers, and 27 of them are in Chile. Comercializadora X e I led that group with nine Peruvian suppliers.
Colombia shipped US$ 0.47 million to 10 buyers in Aruba and Curacao. Its price is the highest of the three, on 100 shipments.
For a Peruvian exporter, Chile already knows your fruit. For a Colombian one, the islands pay well, while the volume stays small.
When buyers take the most
Fresh watermelon has a sharp season. April was the peak, with US$ 21.14 million, and May followed with US$ 16.49 million.
The year started lower. January reached US$ 6.35 million and March US$ 11.18 million.
After May the value dropped quickly. June closed at US$ 3.86 million and August at US$ 1.07 million.
The price moved less than the volume. Mexican fruit sold at US$ 0.23 per kilo in February and at US$ 0.17 in April, when the most fruit arrived.
So the April volume comes with the lowest price of the season. If you can ship in January or February, you meet buyers when the kilo pays more.
Organic
Organic watermelon is still a niche. Two buyers took US$ 0.15 million at US$ 0.14 per kilo, below the US$ 0.19 average.
What I would do
I would start with the 31 buyers that already use three or more suppliers. They are used to adding a source, and Bagley Produce and Growers Select Produce lead that group.
Then I would look at the 102 buyers with one supplier. A second source before the April peak protects their volume, and that is a strong argument for you.
If your fruit earns a premium, I would aim at the buyers that paid US$ 0.40 per kilo or more.
The full list of 155 buyers, with their suppliers, their country and their price per kilo, is in the World Fresh Watermelon Buyers Radar.
The numbers behind this
| Buyer country | US$ million, 2026 | US$ per kilo | Buyers |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 71.92 | 0.20 | 114 |
| Chile | 0.69 | 0.10 | 27 |
| Aruba | 0.39 | 0.55 | 7 |
| Curacao | 0.09 | 0.73 | 3 |
| Japan | 0.03 | n/a | 1 |
Get the list of fresh watermelon buyers
All 155 buyers of fresh watermelon from Peru, Mexico and Colombia in 2026, ranked by value, with their price per kilo, their suppliers and their country.
See the buyer listFrequently asked questions
Who are the largest buyers of fresh watermelon from Latin America?
In 2026, Fivecrowns bought US$ 8.88 million, Giumarra US$ 5.10 million and Growers Select Produce US$ 4.30 million. Pacific Trellis Fruit followed with US$ 4.04 million and Nowell Borders with US$ 3.74 million, all in the United States.
Which countries buy the most fresh watermelon from Mexico, Peru and Colombia?
The United States bought US$ 71.92 million in 2026, all of it from Mexico. Chile bought US$ 0.69 million from Peru, and Aruba US$ 0.39 million from Colombia.
What is the price per kilo of fresh watermelon by origin?
Mexican fresh watermelon sold at US$ 0.20 per kilo in 2026, Peruvian at US$ 0.10 and Colombian at US$ 0.58.
Which buyers pay the most for fresh watermelon?
Among buyers of more than US$ 1 million, C.H. Robinson paid US$ 0.67 per kilo, Growers Select Produce US$ 0.43 and Farmhouse US$ 0.41, all for Mexican fruit.
When do buyers take the most fresh watermelon?
April was the peak month of 2026, with US$ 21.14 million, followed by May with US$ 16.49 million. August was the lowest month with full data from Mexico, at US$ 1.07 million.