The harvest of mid-season watermelon varieties has begun in the Odesa region
1 August 16:07
In the south of the Odesa region, farmers are finishing up the harvest of early watermelons and preparing to harvest mid-season and late varieties, which will allow them to supply the market throughout August. In particular, the “Niva” farming enterprise grows Karistan F1, Antem F1, Tamerlan F1, and Arashan F1. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing AgroTimes.
Spring planting took place amid extreme temperature fluctuations, with nighttime temperatures dropping to 0–2 °C. To protect the plants from disease and stress, farmers used biological fungicides and organic fertilizers, which were applied via drip irrigation.
“This year has been very difficult for growing watermelons because the spring brought rapid changes in the weather. The seedlings, which were planted early, were suffering greatly, so we decided to use organic fungicides and fertilizers via the drip irrigation system,” said Mykhailo Chymshir, a representative of “Niva.”
A high-quality harvest is achieved thanks to the irrigation system and cooperation with the “Water of Life” water users’ organization, which USAID helped to upgrade pumping equipment, replace pipelines, and repair valves.
A significant increase in the area planted with melon and watermelon crops in the Izmail and Tatarbunary districts, as well as near Odesa and in other regions of Ukraine, has led to a decline in wholesale prices due to market oversupply. In addition, farmers are facing additional logistical challenges when transporting their harvest through the Palanka border crossing.
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