Bumper watermelon harvest pushes prices down in Pakistan
“Prices have declined by almost PKR 20,000 to PKR 30,000 per truck load due to the increasing supply of watermelons coming both from Sindh and Punjab provinces,” Fazal Khan Mohmand, fruit dealer and leader of a trade community in the city’s main market, told Arab News.
The prices of Sindh’s watermelon is PKR 80,000 to PKR 100,000 per truck load while those coming from Punjab are priced at PKR 120,000 to PKR 150,000 per truck load.
In Pakistan watermelon season begins in April and ends in late June or July. Watermelon is extremely popular during extreme hot weather for its thirst-quenching properties.
Usually during the forthcoming holy month of Ramadan fruit sales, especially of seasonal fruits of which watermelon is a major part, increase greatly and prices can more than double.
However, this is not expected to occur this year. “As far as watermelons are concerned the prices are not likely to increase because of a huge inflow of the commodity,” Mohmand noted.
There is no official data on watermelon production but estimates suggest it hovers around 400,000 tons per year with little annual variation. “In our area the per acre production is between 700 to 1,100 maund,” said Malik Asghar, Chairman of Punjab Fruit Exporters Association.
As the production has increased the farmers are not getting the right prices. “Watermelon being purchased at rate of PKR 400 per pound from farmers and supplied to the market at rate of PKR 800, which includes costs of transportation and labor,” Asghar added.
Watermelons are mostly water, 92 percent, but also contain significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids.
Health experts also suggest a sufficient intake of watermelon especially in the current hot season when perspiration dehydrates the human body.
“Watermelons consist of water and lot of minerals that are essential for human health. We recommend people to consume watermelons so that their bodies get rehydrated,” Dr. SM Qaiser Sajjad, General Secretary of Pakistan Medical Association, recommended while talking to Arab News.
“People must ensure that whatever they are consuming must be fresh,” he cautioned.
Source: www.arabnews.com
