This week, some farms in southern and central Moldova began harvesting early watermelons and melons grown under protective agrofibre, according to Logos Press.
Wholesale prices remain relatively low: watermelons are sold at 8–10 MDL/kg (€0.42–0.53/kg), and melons at 15–18 MDL/kg (€0.79–0.95/kg). According to EastFruit price monitoring, current watermelon prices are the lowest for late June in the past three years, both in MDL and EUR terms.
Earlier-season greenhouse melons sold for 25–30 MDL/kg (€1.32–1.58/kg), which is typical for June. By early July, prices for open-field melons dropped significantly but remained close to levels recorded in the first week of July last year.
Producers report a difficult start to the season. Some farms had to replant melon fields multiple times due to spring frosts. As a result, it remains unclear how much area has reached harvest readiness.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the cultivated area for melons and watermelons may be 10–15% lower than last year's 3,400 hectares.
Source: logos-pres.md