Watermelons are cheaper than last year, but not by much.

The prices of imported watermelons in the Polish wholesale market are lower this season compared to the same period last year. However, this does not mean they are low, as in recent days the average selling price of these fruits has also slightly dropped below the level from a similar period in the 2022 season. Nevertheless, these differences are still not significant, and the current average price is significantly higher than the average price from the previous five seasons.

We can see this on our chart. Currently, the selling prices of imported watermelons in wholesale range from 1.30 to 3.00 PLN/kg (0.30 to 0.70 EUR/kg), which is almost 21 percent higher than the long-term average. It is important to note that the end of July and beginning of August mark the peak supply period of watermelons in Europe. Therefore, we are currently experiencing the peak supply season of watermelons in Poland as well. Despite this, the prices of these fruits remain relatively high and stable.

The recent decrease in the current average price (-6.5 percent) is a result of the lower end of the price range decreasing due to an influx of larger quantities of cheaper watermelons from Romania. Prices of fruits imported from Southern Europe remain higher and more stable. As seen on the chart, the market situation for watermelons in the current season and the two previous seasons is quite similar - prices are significantly higher than in previous years, indicating that the production of these fruits has decreased following years of low prices and has not yet been rebuilt.

On the other hand, the market is seeing an increase in domestic watermelons year by year. Polish producers are trying to compete with the dominant import market, and to some extent, they are succeeding as the interest in Polish watermelons in wholesale is growing. Currently, their prices in wholesale range from 2.00 to 3.00 PLN/kg (0.47 to 0.70 EUR/kg).