the Mykolaiv region of Ukraine, the total gourd harvest for this year reached 19.5 thousand tonnes, marking a 20% increase from the previous year. This includes 14.7 thousand tonnes of watermelons. Olena Piskun, who helms the Agricultural Sector Department at the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, shared these figures with Ukrinform.
For the upcoming 2024 season, the area planted with gourds expanded to 2,241 hectares. This area includes 1,550 hectares dedicated to watermelon cultivation (a 20% increase from 2023) and 691 hectares for melons (an 8% increase).
Private households account for roughly 80% of gourd cultivation in the region, with the remainder grown by agricultural enterprises. Piskun noted a recent uptick in the proportion of gourds produced by these enterprises, which primarily serve the domestic market.
Among the notable contributors to the region's gourd production is the South Agrarian Export Company (PAEK), recognized as a leading vegetable producer. Yuriy Kormyshkin, CEO of PAEK, highlighted the company's success in cultivating a variety of watermelon strains, enabling an extended sales period starting from June. He also mentioned the impact of the summer's heat on gourd yields, particularly melons, but reported satisfaction with the product quality.
The recent heat wave in Mykolaiv led to a 30% reduction in overall harvests, though it is not expected to decrease product prices.
Source: Ukrinform