Watermelons in Ukraine have fallen in price by 36% since last week

Mykolaiv watermelons, photo by AgroPortal

Since last Friday, watermelons in Ukraine have fallen in price by 36%, reports Liga.net, citing the industry publication EastFruit. As of 23 July, the price of watermelons from local farms ranges from 5-14 UAH/kg, depending on the quality of the product and the volume of the batch.

As of today, selling prices for watermelons are on average 28% lower than at the end of July 2024.

Experts say the main reason for the decline is the rapid growth in the supply of melons due to the heat wave, which accelerated the ripening of the fruit. At the same time, the drought in the southern regions is having a negative impact on the quality of the harvest and exacerbating the price decline.

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Prices are falling despite a decline in overall production of the crop in Ukraine, experts say. The main watermelon growing region, Kherson region, is still under temporary occupation. In other regions, part of the harvest was lost due to adverse weather conditions.

However, producers expect prices to fall further due to increased supply from both local and imported production and low demand.

Taras Bashtannik, President of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association, explains the low prices for watermelons by the fact that this crop is successfully grown in atypical regions.

- "We already have watermelons in Chernihiv, Sumy and Volyn regions. It's not the south," he said in a podcast by the Centre for Economic Strategy.

Bashtannik considers watermelons to be a "relatively simple crop" that yields results quickly. In his opinion, watermelons also attract farmers because they "do not require storage", as the consumption season lasts only a month and a half.