Turkmenistan is experiencing a surge in watermelon exports amid a bountiful melon harvest season. The country’s State Customs Service reports that watermelons and melons have become the primary agricultural exports in 2024.
Export figures are staggering.
In January-July period of 2024, watermelon exports have increased 10 times compared to the total volume of exports for the whole of 2022 and 9 times compared to the total volume of melon exports for 2023.
Russia and Qatar have emerged as the primary destinations for Turkmen watermelons, accounting for 62% and 38% of total exports, respectively.
Melon exports have also posted significant growth, surpassing the total volumes of 2022 and 2023 by 1.2 and 1.4 times, respectively.
Russia remains the top importer of Turkmen melons, with Kazakhstan also featuring prominently.