Farmers in the Mary region are facing losses due to the high cost of cultivating watermelons. They planted watermelons on rented lands expecting state-provided irrigation, but the canal water turned out to be insufficient. Those who could afford it managed to irrigate their plots twice during the season by paying for private pumps. However, this was inadequate to achieve a good harvest. Moreover, with the cost of irrigation and other expenses factored in, the production costs exceeded expectations, according to reports from "Chronicles of Turkmenistan" correspondents.
Currently, Iranian watermelons flood the markets of the Mary and the Lebap regions, selling at a lower price. Iranian watermelons are retailing at 1.0–1.3 euros each, regardless of weight (ranging from 6 to 9 kilograms). Local watermelons cost 0.38 euros per kilogram, making an average watermelon cost around 1.8 -2.0 euros. As a result, Turkmen producers are unable to sell their goods and are incurring losses.
Tenants find it illogical that imported watermelons are cheaper than local ones, suspecting illegal import schemes from Iran as the reason behind this price difference. They criticize the government for not supporting farmers despite its regular statements about the need for import substitution.
Source: hronikatm.com