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Piracicaba, 7 – São Paulo’s watermelon mid-harvest 2019 will end in the next days. After closing activities in Marília/Oscar Bressane (São Paulo state) in the middle of April, now, only a few crops remain in harvest in Itápolis (São Paulo state).
According to Hortifruti/Cepea collaborators, although low supply boosted prices last month – watermelon (>12 kg) had an average value of BRL 0,85 per kg in April, 98% higher than in March, of BRL 0,43 per kg – most producers still view this harvest as unsatisfactory, since, for the most part of the season, prices were too close to production costs, especially during the period of high fruit supply.
Furthermore, February and March rain and a high incidence of virus obliged producers to increase pulverization, which has also raised costs and reduced productivity. Therefore, only producers who have concentrated their activities in April (during prices peak) or who have achieved high productivity may have positive margins this mid-season, what may limit the investments for the main crop of 2019/20.
Source: hfbrasil.org.br
