In 2023, world watermelon production reached a record 104,932 million kilos, according to data prepared by Hortoinfo based on data from Faostat, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics agency, which has just updated the world data for 2023, the last year for which the FAO has provided production data. This is 1,889 million kilos more than in the previous year, with an area expansion to 3,042,931 hectares, i.e. 14,154 more than in 2022.
China leads global production with 63,821.3 million kilos, accounting for 60.82% of the total. China had 1,488,028 hectares devoted to watermelon production and a 4.29 kilos per square meter yield.
India was the second-biggest producer with 3,626 million kilos in 126,000 hectares, achieving 2.88 kilos per square meter. Turkey ranked third with 3,147.92 million kilos, 64,070 hectares, and a yield of 4.91 kilos/m².
Algeria is the fourth largest producer with 2,507.14 million kilos, 63,258 hectares, and a yield of 3.96 kilos/m². Brazil ranked fifth with 1,781.97 million kilos, 80,833 hectares, and 2.20 kilos/m².
Spain ranked fifteenth with 1,168.93 million kilos, 21,460 hectares, and a 5.45 kilos/m² yield. Italy ranked nineteenth with 751.57 million kilos, 15,170 hectares, and 4.95 kilos/m².
Morocco ranked 20th with 462.72 million kilos, 14,582 hectares, and 3.17 kilos/m².
In Europe, Spain increased its production by 3.94 million kilos, reducing the area by 240 hectares. Italy increased its production by 94.87 million kilos, expanding the area by 2,780 hectares. Morocco's production decreased by 140.23 million kilos, despite increasing the area by 324 hectares. Turkey's production area decreased by 4,951 hectares and its production by 246.86 million kilos.
Source: hortoinfo.es