Watermelon seedlings planted in Adana: Will the price reach 5 liras?

In Adana, seedlings have been planted in the fields where Turkey's earliest registered watermelons are grown. The farm-gate price for these watermelons, which are planned to be harvested in May, is expected to be at least 5 liras per kilogram.

Adana, which meets 20 percent of Turkey's watermelon demand—with Turkey ranking second in global watermelon production after China with 4.5 million tons—saw the seedlings planted in the Karataş district. Workers arriving at the sandy fields in the early morning hours prepared the soil for planting by leveling it and placing fertilizer in the seedling pits. The planted seedlings were covered with nylon to protect them from the cold. The watermelons, planted through the labor of workers and grown in sea sand, are expected to be harvested in the second week of May and sold in the market, provided that air temperatures remain within seasonal norms.

Adana watermelon is a product that has been granted a 'geographical indication certificate' by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, with an annual yield of approximately 850 thousand tons. The fact that this watermelon is the earliest product provides a significant source of income for producers. Last year, watermelons were planted on 110 thousand decares of land; this year, that area will increase by 20 percent to 132 thousand decares.

Yüreğir Chamber of Agriculture President Mehmet Akın Doğan stated that the cost of planting one decare of watermelon ranges between 18 and 20 thousand liras. Noting that Adana watermelon is known worldwide for its taste, color, and aroma, Doğan stated that seedless watermelon production has been carried out in Adana for the last 2 years and that this product is exported to Europe, Russia, and many other countries.

Stating that they expect the price of watermelon to be between 5 and 6 liras per kilogram this year, Doğan indicated that farmers will make a profit. Farmer Veli Şahbaz, who planted watermelons on a 230-decare field in the city, also said that they expect the price per kilogram of watermelon to be at least 5 liras.