160,000 to 180,000 tons of watermelons can be harvested this year

By: STA Date: 2024. 09. 04. 09:00

According to KSH data, 124.7 thousand tons of watermelons were harvested from 2.88 thousand hectares of production area in Hungary in 2023, which was 23 percent more than the amount a year earlier. This year, watermelons were planted on 3.7 thousand hectares. The season started earlier, experts predicted a harvest of 160,000 to 180,000 tons of watermelon.

(Photo: Pixabay)

According to KSH data, in 2023 the export volume of watermelons doubled to 47,000 tons, and its value increased by 85 percent to HUF 8.08 billion compared to the previous year. The target countries include Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland.

Hungary’s watermelon imports decreased by 45 percent to 11.7 thousand tons in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period of the previous year

The leading supplier of watermelons was Greece, from which 15 percent less, 3.47 thousand tons of watermelons arrived. Among the suppliers, Italy took second place, with 2.89 thousand tons (January-June 2023: 3.64 thousand tons). According to the data of AKI PÁIR, the Budapest Wholesale Market offered watermelons from Greece, Italy and Morocco before the domestic season. This year, domestic watermelons entered the market in the 24th week, the long-striped type was sold at HUF 400/kilogram. The price of watermelons increased by 6 percent to HUF 272/kilogram between 27 and 35. per week compared to the average price of the same period of the previous year.

AKI PÁIR