Watermelon Season Begins in Siraha, Imports Dominate Early Market

Siraha. The watermelon season has begun in Siraha. Currently, watermelons brought from various states of India are being sold in fruit markets in Golbazar, Mirchaiya, and Lahan of the district.

According to local trader Vijay Sah, watermelons are currently being imported from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh in India. He stated that as this is the beginning of the season, the current selling price is between NPR 50 to NPR 55 per kilogram.

Traders anticipate that Nepali watermelons will reach the market in about another month. It is expected that the price will slightly decrease once local production begins.

Meanwhile, farmers are expressing concern over delayed production. Local farmer Dhaniklal Mahato, who cultivates watermelons on the banks of the Kamala River connecting Siraha and Dhanusha, stated that they had to plant seedlings late due to the delayed availability of timely fertilizer and improved seed varieties. He mentioned that this will cause a delay in production and consequently, a delay in Nepali watermelons reaching the market.

Due to the delay in local production, consumers will likely remain dependent on imported watermelons for some time. Narendra Kumar Mahaseth, Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Center Siraha, stated that watermelon cultivation is being carried out on approximately 50 hectares of land on the banks of the Kamala River connecting Siraha and Dhanusha.