Watermelons from Kherson were sold for 2 hryvnia per kilo

This year, farmers were unable to transport about 80% of the watermelons grown in the Kherson region due to the security situation. Those who agreed to travel to the region to pick up the produce were offered only about 2 hryvnias per kilogram, and some transporters turned back at the very first checkpoint.

This was reported by Viktor Gordienko, head of the Association of Farmers and Private Landowners of the Kherson Region, in an interview with Suspilne.Kherson.

According to him, Kherson watermelons are traditionally in high demand, but this year the main problem was not selling the produce, but rather the ability to physically deliver it to buyers.

“For example, watermelons from Kherson are in demand every year. Even at the market, when they’re selling watermelons not from Kherson, they label them as being from Kherson. But this year, 80% simply couldn’t be shipped out,” Gordienko said.

He noted that buyers who agreed to travel to the Kherson region offered farmers 2 hryvnias per kilogram. Meanwhile, of the ten trucks that set out for the region, all reached the first checkpoint, but eight of them turned back.

Logistical problems aren’t limited to watermelons. According to the farmer, a significant portion of the wheat is still being stored by farmers in special silos or warehouses because there’s nowhere to transport it. Due to the logistical challenges, the grain has to be sold at low prices.

At the same time, farmers were largely able to ship this year’s rapeseed due to strong demand. Farmers also plan to export sunflower seeds, some of which can be processed into oil in Ukraine, allowing them to export the finished product.

Overall, the season has been extremely difficult for farmers in Kherson. Gordienko reported that Russian attacks destroyed crops, equipment, and infrastructure. According to a preliminary assessment conducted jointly with the Kherson Regional State Administration, approximately 15,000 hectares of crops were lost due to the hostilities. At his farm, about 2,000 hectares of winter wheat were burned in a single night.

The farmer also stated that the danger zone for farmers has expanded to approximately 50–60 kilometers from the front line. Workers are forced to wear helmets, body armor, and use drone detectors, while farms are purchasing electronic countermeasures, including equipment costing about 15,000 dollars.

Earlier, Intent reported that as of early August, farmers in the Kherson region had already harvested about 3,000 metric tons of crops, which will soon appear on store shelves in various regions of Ukraine. 

Farmers expected to harvest about 25,000 metric tons of melons. The total area planted with watermelons was approximately 1,000 hectares.

Андрій Колісніченко