Over the past three weeks, wholesale watermelon prices in Uzbekistan have increased 2.5 times, reaching record highs for this time of year. According to EastFruit analysts, the main reason is a reduction in the planted area of mid-season watermelon varieties this season.
EastFruit price monitoring data shows that from 18 July to 8 August 2025, the average wholesale price for watermelon rose from 1,000 to 2,500 UZS/kg (from $0.08 to $0.20). Current wholesale prices are more than four times higher than last year’s levels. Moreover, as of 8 August this year, the average wholesale price for watermelon is between 1.7 and 2.8 times higher than on the same date in 2021–2023.
In contrast, from mid-July to mid-September last year, the watermelon market in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries faced the opposite situation — prices were at record lows, forcing many producers to leave their crops unharvested in the fields. Some harvested watermelons solely to feed livestock. At that time, EastFruit reported on the main reasons behind the record low prices.
Read also: Uzbekistan Sets New Annual Watermelon Export Record in Just Two Months of the Season
Market participants believe that last year’s price collapse forced many farmers to abandon watermelon cultivation this season in favour of other crops. As a result, the planted area of mid-season watermelon — which enters the domestic market starting in July — has been significantly reduced, becoming the main driver of the sharp price increase in the second half of July and the first ten days of August this year.
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