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Every year 33,08,000 metric tons of watermelon is grown in India.

Be it North India or Central India, watermelon is that fruit whose demand never ends. One reason for this is that watermelon is no longer just a fruit. This has become the basis for food experimentation. Not only watermelon and its juice, now it is also being used in making smoothies, mocktails, sherbets, flavored sweets and candies. World Population Review figures show that China is ahead in watermelon production. It grows 60,386,121 metric tons of watermelon every year.

Turkey is at second position and India is at third position in terms of supplying maximum number of watermelons to the country and the world. Every year 3,308,000 metric tons of watermelon is grown in India. The demand for Indian watermelon can be understood from the fact that dozens of countries in the world import it.Many countries including UAE, Maldives, Qatar, Bhutan and Bahrain are fans of Indian watermelon. Some selected states are behind the large scale production of watermelon in India. Know, which state supplies the most watermelons to the country and why.

Where is the stronghold of watermelon in India?

Uttar Pradesh is at the forefront in supplying maximum number of watermelons to the country. Uttar Pradesh alone has 21 percent share in the watermelon produced in India. After Uttar Pradesh comes Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The temperature and soil in these states are considered perfect for its production. How much watermelon will be produced also depends on irrigation and rain, but despite this, Uttar Pradesh remains at the first place in the production of maximum watermelon.

Not only watermelon and its juice, now it is also being used in making smoothies, mocktails, sherbets, flavored sweets and candies.

Why is Uttar Pradesh at the forefront in growing watermelon?

Now the question is that watermelon is growing in many states, then how did Uttar Pradesh move ahead. Watermelon is a crop which is ready in a few months. This is the reason why it is cultivated more here and the weather and soil also help in it. It gives highest yield in sandy soil. Water does not stagnate in this soil and with better drainage the roots become deeper. This is one of the most important conditions for watermelon cultivation which is fulfilled in the soil of Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh remains at the first place in the highest production of watermelon.

Not only this, the land on the banks of Ganga and Yamuna rivers of Uttar Pradesh i.e. Doab region is full of this sandy loam soil. In districts like Agra, Mathura, Etawah, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Mirzapur, farmers grow bumper watermelons every year on the land on the banks of rivers. The pH level here also remains between 6 to 7, which is ideal for its cultivation. In other states there is a problem of heavy or clay soil. This is the reason why the land of UP gives crops worth crores of rupees every year.

There is bumper production in Agra, Mathura, Etawah, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Mirzapur.

UP's watermelon is more juicy, sweeter and ripens faster.

Watermelon seeds require a temperature of 22 to 25 degrees Celsius for germination and 30 to 35 degrees Celsius for ripening. Uttar Pradesh meets the climate standards. Here, sowing of watermelon starts at the end of February and the crop is completely ready by May-June. It is in highest demand during this period of summer. There is not much humidity here during the summer season, which is why the watermelon here is sweeter and juicy and ripens quickly.

Sowing of watermelon starts at the end of February and the crop is completely ready by May-June.

How many countries demand Indian watermelon?

The largest buyer of Indian watermelon is United Arab Emirates. Maldives, Bhutan, Qatar, Bahrain and Nepal are among the countries where India exports watermelon in large numbers. The history of watermelon is 5 thousand years old. It is claimed in beliefs that it was first produced in ancient Egypt, where it was often kept in the tombs of kings so that they could continue to get nourishment after their death.

Watermelon is usually red because lycopene is found in it. This antioxidant gives it red color, which is also found in tomatoes, but currently watermelons with yellow, orange and white pulp are also available in the market.

Ankit Gupta

Born in Lucknow, the city of Nawabs. Graduated from DAV College and MBA from Punjab Technical University. The desire to write and the passion to know the story beyond the news brought me into journalism. Started his career in 2008 with Lucknow's first Hindi tabloid 'Lucknow Lead'. Tried my hand in the features section. Then he joined Dainik Jagran's iNext from Gorakhpur, the city of Baba Gorakhnath. Joined the Jaipur head office of Rajasthan Patrika in 2013 for reporting on city news and health magazine. After spending about 5 years here, I reached Dainik Bhaskar's Bhopal head office in 2018 for a new beginning in the digital world. Got hold of research, explainer, data story and infographic. The most complex news of health and science explained in simple words. Said goodbye to Dainik Bhaskar in 2021 and joined the digital wing of TV9 Group. Currently working in TV9, I am heading the 'Knowledge' section as an Assistant News Editor. There is focus and interest on explainer, data and research stories.

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