The delivery of the first Greek watermelons to European markets has begun, with the fruit coming from the greenhouses of Ilia. Mr. Nikos Kamilis, owner of the import-export company Babis Fruits, based in Andravida, Ilia, states: “The watermelons were planted in late December to early January. The fruits could have been ready by early May, but the warm weather accelerated their growth, so the first of them, belonging to the Bostana variety, were harvested around April 20.”

“We are pleased with the hectare yield. Those who have planted their plants reach up to 80 tons per hectare. The performance of such plantations is always higher, but not many growers have the knowledge to create their own plants. Anyway, I think that the average hectare yield will stand at 40 tons, which is a good volume. In a few days, the harvest of the Selini and Varela varieties will also begin in our region’s greenhouses, and our company expects that within May, it will fill about 150 to 180 trucks. Open-field watermelons from Ilia usually begin around June 5–10, with varieties following a similar sequence to those coming from greenhouses,” says the Greek trader.

Varela watermelons are particularly favored in Hungary, a market where we are very active. Generally, Hungary prefers watermelons of at least 9 kg, regardless of whether they are sold in supermarkets or wholesale markets,” comments Mr. Kamilis.

The great success of strawberry cultivation in Ilia has not hindered the expansion of watermelons. “Compared to last year, we estimate that watermelon cultivation in Ilia, both greenhouse and open-field, has increased by 20%,” says Mr. Kamilis. However, he adds that the cultivation of mini and seedless watermelons in Greece is very limited: “Such watermelons are only grown ‘on request.’ That is, a trader must have secured a market that requests them and arranged their cultivation with specific producers. However, this is an exception.”

Finally, Mr. Kamilis prefers not to make predictions about the demand for the new season: “The beginning was marked by high grower prices, initially 0,90 and then 0,75 euros/kg, and good demand from the foreign markets. However, everything depends on the weather. If there are high temperatures, there will be demand. Three or four years ago, watermelon prices had dropped to a minimum of 0,05 euros/kg for producers. Last year and the year before, the minimum prices were quite higher.”

For more information:
Nikos Kamilis
Babis Fruits
Tel: +30 262 3020 582
Email: [email protected]