In the southern Turkish city of Antalya, the watermelon harvest started 10 days later than usual due to weather conditions. Antalya grows 500 thousand tons of watermelon on average per year.
Producers in Antalya's Serik district planted the seeds in mid-January and started the harvest in late April. The harvest of watermelons is expected to continue until the end of May.
Watermelons weigh 5 to 10 kilos and they cost 3 to 3,5 Turkish Lira (0,4 to 0,5 Euro) per kilo.
Serik Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry Manager Mustafa Comezoglu announced that they started to harvest watermelons grown under row covers that are known as "early watermelon".
Comezoglu stated that farmers in Serik grow 30 thousand tons of watermelons in an area of 400 hectares.
"Last year, Antalya produced 65 thousand tons of greenhouse watermelons in an area of 1 thousand hectares. Together with open-field watermelons, the total production amounts to 500 thousand tons." said Comezoglu. He also emphasized that producers are content with both the yields and the prices.
Mustafa Yavuz, president of Serik Chamber of Agriculture said that the first harvest of watermelons in the country started in Antalya.
First open-field watermelons harvested in Mersin
Growers have started to harvest open-field watermelons in Mersin's Tarsus district.
Tarsus Agriculture Chamber's president Veyis Avci participated in the first watermelon harvest in the district and said that they are happy to harvest Turkey's first open-field watermelons.
Stating that producers grow watermelons in an area of 2 thousand hectares, Avci said: "Due to some problems in exports, it seems like we will not export much this season. This is why, our products will be consumed domestically."
Avci emphasized that watermelons are one of the favorite summer fruits and wished producers a productive season. Producers added that they expect to have a good season.
Source: AA, AA