This year’s melon season has started, juicy Hungarian cantaloupe and honeydew melon are now available

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 07. 01. 11:35

Although the cool spring delayed the start of the domestic melon season by a few weeks, there will be no shortage of high-quality, tasty Hungarian melons and cantaloupes on the market this year, as revealed at the joint season-opening press conference of the National Chamber of Agriculture, the Hungarian Vegetable and Fruit Interprofessional Organization (FruitVeB), and the Hungarian Melon Producers Association. The first Hungarian melons have already appeared in stores, and from July 10, domestic producers will be able to supply consumers with larger quantities. The Hungarian melon sector has undergone significant development in recent years, which creates an opportunity to regain our previously lost export markets.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in domestic melon production in terms of variety selection and production technology. Less modern, constant melon varieties are increasingly being replaced by grafted and hybrid melons that are more resistant to diseases, provide greater crop security, and provide better quality. Thus, the use of varieties in Hungary is also increasingly catching up with international trends, and the start of the season can be brought forward with the cultivation under plastic.

As a result of the change in technology, the efficiency of melon cultivation has also improved significantly. Although we produce melons on half the area compared to the past decade, the quantity produced has hardly decreased, as the yield averages and crop security have increased significantly. Despite the change in varieties, the usual delicious taste has remained, and in fact, the quality has improved. Thus, the work of recent years seems to be paying off: thanks to modernization, domestic producers have specialized in the cultivation of melons of excellent quality, taste and nutritional value.

Producers are trying to keep up with changing consumer habits. The demand for smaller, 4-6 kilogram, and seedless watermelons is growing stronger. Dark striped, 4-8 kilogram melons are also in demand, and are mostly found in supermarket chains. The most popular types of watermelon in Hungary are the Cantalup and the Gália.

The cold weather in spring took a toll on the plants, so the season started two weeks later than last year, but from July 10th, Hungarian melons can be found in stores in larger quantities. Due to the cold weather in spring, only a small amount of early melons appeared from the plastic tent cultivation. The fruit set occurred at about the same time in the open field plantings in mid- and late April, so a larger quantity is expected to appear on the market at the same time.

According to expectations, this year, producers can achieve an average yield of 50 tons per hectare, so about 175 thousand tons of Hungarian watermelons can be found on the market. Domestic consumption is around 110 thousand tons per year, so farmers can ship a significant amount abroad.