Sunup: A Revolutionary Melon Hits the Shelves

Similar to a cantaloupe but with a golden color skin, Sunup will  impress Northern European markets with its attractive external appearance and excellent post-harvest qualities.

Nunhem, the Netherlands – June 7, 2021

BASF is breaking new ground in the melon market with the creation of a new type of melon called Sunup. The external color of its skin is golden, and the internal flesh color is orange making it a unique proposition. The fruit itself is firm and juicy with a sweet taste as it has a high Brix value. It closely resembles a cantaloupe melon from which it inherited its netting and sutures.

“Its external color makes it more attractive to consumers,” explains Enrique Ballester, BASF's Melon Account Manager. He adds, “thanks to its ripeness indicator (it turns from green to golden when it reaches its optimum harvesting point) it will never disappoint in terms of flavor guaranteeing repeat purchases”. Sunup stands out further as it has excellent post-harvest properties by staying fresh for a longer time, making it a great ally against food waste on our supermarket shelves.

As part of this revolutionary concept, BASF has varieties that can be grown in Senegal, Morocco, Spain, Brazil, and Honduras, ensuring a continuous supply all year round.

Once again BASF VS is meeting the demands of all links in the agri-food value chain. On the one hand, producers and marketers will be able to offer their customers a product with great quality all year round and on the other hand, supermarkets and distributors will have a melon that is unique, and which, thanks to its external appearance and organoleptic characteristics, will allow them to attract new consumers.

Thanks to Sunup’s excellent post-harvest qualities all the value chain will contribute to reducing food waste, thus making healthy eating enjoyable and sustainable. In short, it has the qualities and characteristics necessary to become a market leader within competitive markets.  It is our belief that the North West European and Scandinavian markets won’t be able to resist ranging Sunup on their shelves.

For more information, please contact

Nasir Ahmed
Consumer & Customer Manager, UK
+44 7796 473 392
nasir.ahmed@vegetableseeds.basf.com

Henri van Hassel
Consumer & Customer Manager, North West Europe
Mobiel +31-6-1505 2021
henri.vanhassel@vegetableseeds.basf.com

Hans Driessen
Consumer & Customer Manager, North West Europe
Mobiel +31-6-2482 6384
hans.driessen@vegetableseeds.basf.com

Or your local sales specialist of BASF’s vegetable seeds business