Watermelons are feed for cows; briefly about prices for melons in Uzbekistan

Published Jul 21, 2024

Tridge summary

The watermelon market in Uzbekistan and Central Asia is experiencing a crisis due to a significant drop in demand, resulting in record low prices of 8 cents per kg. The main issue is the unprofitability of exporting to Russia, where prices have also fallen sharply. Additionally, low prices in Eastern Europe and the EU, exacerbated by overproduction in Ukraine, make exports unviable. Some farmers are now feeding watermelons to livestock or giving them away for free. There is a potential for price recovery in Eastern Europe due to hot weather affecting harvest quality, but ongoing mass harvesting in Ukraine could continue to depress prices.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

According to EastFruit analysts, in Uzbekistan and Central Asian countries in general, a difficult situation has developed in the watermelon market. Producers of these melons complain about the lack of demand for watermelon, which forces them to leave it unharvested in the fields. Some producers harvest watermelon only to feed it to livestock, as shown in this video from the local telegram channel Agrobloger. EastFruit wholesale price monitoring shows that small-scale wholesale prices for fresh watermelon on the Uzbekistan market are currently at a record low and amount to 8 cents per kg. However, this is the price for products that have already been selected, delivered to the market and offered for sale. At a lower price, trading watermelon simply becomes unprofitable. One of the main reasons for the collapse in prices and the almost complete lack of demand for watermelon in Uzbekistan is the unprofitability of its export to the main market - the Russian Federation. In Russia, ...

Source: Eastfruit