Hungarian melons can regain their lost export markets, according to producer associations

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According to the associations, due to the cool spring, only melons grown in plastic tents are currently available in Hungary, but large quantities may arrive in stores from the second half of next week, and they expect there will be no shortage this season. This year, producers may achieve an average yield of 50 tons per hectare, so about 175 thousand tons of Hungarian watermelons may be put on the market – they explain. Domestic consumption is around 110 thousand tons per year, so farmers can ship a significant amount abroad.

The average domestic consumption is 10-12 kilograms per capita.

Smaller, seedless varieties increasingly meet demand The favorable market outlook was based on the increase in the variety selection and the modernization of production, and in recent years, less modern varieties have been replaced by grafted and hybrid melons that are more resistant to diseases, provide greater crop security and better quality. Thanks to the change in technology, the same amount can be produced in a smaller area, while the quality remains excellent.

The watermelon production area in Hungary is 3,700 hectares, and has increased by about 1,100 hectares since 2022, an increase of 10 percent compared to last year

Among the counties, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Békés lead with more than 1,300 hectares. Due to the frosts, many people switched to cantaloupe, so its growing area reached 500 hectares by 2025, with the largest quantity being produced in Bács-Kiskun County. Melon imports are only 14-28 thousand tons, and typically only last until the start of the domestic season – the announcement noted. According to professional organizations, there would be room for development in exports, as the sector has lost our previously significant foreign market partners in recent years.

As a result of the technological and variety change, exports expanded again from 2023, reaching 46 thousand tons in 2024

New opportunities may open up for Hungarian melons abroad, primarily due to climate changes affecting Mediterranean countries and the increase in transportation costs, with demand picking up mainly in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. However, market opportunities can only be exploited in an organized manner, so producer organizations must be strengthened – they drew attention, adding that interest groups have successfully cooperated with supermarket chains in recent years, and the change in producers’ attitudes has resulted in a more marketable crop. Hungarian melons are better than those from southern Europe due to the favorable domestic conditions, and they also provide a livelihood for hundreds of Hungarian families – they emphasized in the statement.

MTI