A bumper melon harvest is reported in Tajikistan this year.  As a result, melon prices have fallen 50 percent.  

At the beginning of this year’s season an average price for watermelons at Dushanbe’s bazaars is 10.00 somoni, while at the beginning of last year’s season an average price for watermelons at Dushanbe’s bazaars was 20.00 somoni.

Watermelon harvesting is at its height in Khatlon province, and farmers in the Hisor Valley will start harvesting watermelons in August.  

According to the Plant Cultivation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Tajik farmers this year have planted melons on an area of more than 18,000 hectares, which is 2,000 hectares more than last year.

“To-date, they have yielded more than 20,000 tons of melons from 752 hectares, which is 12,300 tons more than over same period last year,” an official source at a MoA told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to him, an average melon yields were 26.84 tons per hectare.   

Meanwhile, farmers say they need government support for cultivation of melons.  First of all, they reportedly need high-quality seeds as well as mineral fertilizers and fuel at acceptable prices.