The harvest season has concluded for the geographically indicated Kırkağaç melon, which is synonymous with the Kırkağaç district of Manisa. This year, a yield of approximately 30 thousand tons was obtained from production carried out on about 10 thousand decares of land in the district. While a portion of the product was offered for sale immediately after harvest, the melons capable of lasting for a long time were moved to special storage facilities to be consumed during the winter months.
One of the main features that distinguishes the Kırkağaç melon from other varieties is its ability to be stored for months without spoiling under suitable conditions. Thanks to their thick rind structure, the shelf life of the melons is extended, and they are checked for rot and damage before being placed in storage. The products are then tied individually with ropes and hung on mechanisms on the ceiling so that they do not touch each other.
SALES CONTINUE DURING WINTER MONTHS
The hanging storage method ensures that the Kırkağaç melon reaches tables not only during the summer harvest but also during the New Year period and the first months of the new year. Producers state that buyers withdraw the products from the storage facilities in batches to send them for sale.
Producer Kayacık, who said he had sold all the melons in his own storage, explained that buyers usually remove the products from storage in January and February. Kayacık said, "They come and wrap them periodically until the end of February and send them for sale. There are some that last until March, but the melon business in Kırkağaç is largely finished by February."
Kırkağaç Chamber of Agriculture President Emin Özarı also stated that the melon cultivation area in the district has remained at the 10 thousand decare level for years, adding, "We obtained a yield of approximately 30 thousand tons and completed our harvest. We have hung them in our storage facilities."
Özarı also said that different varieties have come to the fore in production depending on consumer preferences. Reminding that black-spotted melons have been grown in Kırkağaç for centuries, Özarı emphasized that white-sliced and yellow-sliced varieties are also produced today. Özarı assessed, "I think that now, rather than the variety of the melon, where it is grown is what is important."
News Source: 12punto
