VALUE CHAIN #

Watermelon value chain

 

Global sales from watermelon exports by country amounted to US$1.5 billion in 2016.
Overall, the value of watermelon exports were up by an average 26.5% for all exporting countries since 2012 when watermelon shipments were valued at $1.2 billion. Year over year, the value of global watermelon exports appreciated by 7.9% from 2015 to 2016.

Among continents, European countries accounted for the highest dollar worth of exported watermelons during 2016 with shipments valued at $643.1 million or 44.1% of global exports. In second place were North American exporters at 34.7% while 9.1% of worldwide watermelon shipments originated from Asia.

Latin American (excluding Mexico) and Caribbean shippers shipped 7.3% worth of watermelons followed by African exporters at 4.3% and Oceania (mostly Australia, Tonga and New Zealand) at 0.4%.

The 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for watermelons is 080711. http://www.worldstopexports.com/watermelon-exports-by-country/

 

The watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) belongs to the family Cucurbitacea. It is a vine-like flowering plant which grows and matures within a year. It is a special type of berry which is referred to as pepo. Its leaves are coarse, hairy and pinnately-lobed and white to yellow flowers. It possesses long, weak, trailing or climbing stems which are five-angled and up to 3 m (10 ft.) long. Young growth is densely woolly with yellowish-brown hairs which disappear as the plant ages. It is grown for its edible fruit known as watermelon, which has a smooth hard rind usually green and a juicy, sweet interior flesh, usually deep red to pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, or white, with many seeds. The watermelon grows on vines with large crinkled leaves.

Watermelon is relished by a large number of people across the country and even the world as a whole as a fresh fruit. This is because watermelon is thirst-quenching and is known to be low in calories but highly nutritious therefore, recommended for people that wish to lose weight; and with the high rate of overweight or obesity related issues its demand has sky rocketed. It is a good source of vitamins such as vitamins A and C in form of disease fighting beta-carotene. Potassium is also available in it which is believed to help in the control of blood pressure and prevents stroke and other numerous health benefits watermelon offers to the body. They grow rampantly once established without too much attention.

 

Varieties

There are various varieties of water melon species and they vary widely in taste, size, shape, texture and color. Some of the common watermelon varieties are:

• Sugar baby: matures in 75 days, very sweet melons weighing 9 pounds, red flesh, short vining plants, good for limited space.
• Crimson sweet: matures in 85 days, this watermelon variety produces 25 pound melons with sweet red flesh, high sugar content, thin rinds, very disease resistant.
• Charleston gray:  matures in 85 days, long vigorous vines, light green skin with sweet red flesh, 30 pounds.
• Orangeglo Golden Midget: matures in 90 days, very sweet and crisp, oval-shaped melons average 40 pounds, bright orange flesh with off-white seeds.
• Jubilee: matures in 95 days, 40 pound melons with green stripes and red flesh, very fine texture, grows well in hot weather.
• Green gold.
• Ice box.
• Kaolak
• Sweet beauty
• Sangria

 

Recommended Varieties:

• Charleston Gray
• Congo
• Crimson Sweet
• Moon and Stars
• Orangeglo
• Sugar Baby
• Sunday Special

It is advisable that farmers consult local seed company or extension officers for latest information on available varieties, because variety and market trends change all the time.

http://www.nafis.go.ke/fruits/watermelons/

 

 

ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF WATERMELON CULTIVATION

• Relatively low capital requirement: one can start up watermelon cultivation with as low as N30, 000 so far as the land is already available. It does not also require huge equipment or expertise which will require huge sum of money. The items used – chemicals, seeds, fertilizers, etc. is also not very expensive.
• High Turnover: It takes a watermelon seventy-five to ninety-five days to get to maturity from the planting date. This means you can have up to three sets of harvested watermelon fruits within the year and if your parcel of land is large enough, then you are sure to get huge returns on your investment.
• Ready Market: there is a comparatively high demand for watermelon in the Nigerian market today. It is one of the popular and most eaten fruits in the country. Most people take it as a snack, for health purposes and as supplements to diet. Watermelon also contains some enzymes that help to fight against cancer causing cells in the body. For this reasons, watermelon has a large ready market.
• Watermelon Is Pest Resistant: watermelon has resistance to most pests and diseases that usually affect plants. Therefore, you will not need to spend much on adopting expensive pest control measures and chemicals. Thereby ensuring standard rate of return to investment.
• Easy to Start: Watermelon cultivation does not require much technical knowledge to run the farm. As long as you have the land space needed for the farming, you don’t need much of other things to get your watermelon business up and running.

 

Constraint

There are limitations towards a complete success in the cultivation of watermelon and they include:

Changing climatic condition:

The greatest challenge which any watermelon farmer would face is the irregular climatic condition in the country due to global warming and the release of greenhouse gases. But with good timing this challenge can be overcome.

 

Pests and diseases:

Diseases such as blossom-end rot, bursting, rind necrosis, etc. could reduce the quality of the watermelon fruit thereby making it unmarketable or edible which in turn causes loss to the farmer. Although this may not be much of a challenge if adequate care is put in place with the use of the right pesticides, fungicides and insecticides.

 

Lack of irrigation system:

This is the greatest challenge of watermelon farmer especially in the drier regions (i.e. northern part of Nigeria). This could limit the farmers from producing this crop throughout the year.

 

MARKETING

After harvesting, the final step is transportation from the farm to the wholesaler, retailer or final consumption for sale. To successfully sell your watermelon produce, you have to know who your market is. The main market for your produce include: owner of fruit stores, grocery store owners, restaurants and hotels, pharmaceutical companies that need watermelon extracts as raw material for the production of supplements. An important consideration in successful marketing is to have adequate facilities for transportation of the crop to the market outlets. Although being an early seller usually results in higher prices, quality and maturity should be of prime importance in marketing watermelons. Synchronizing the local harvest time with time of short fall in supply from the northern part of Nigeria where large scale production is carried out with irrigation is a good way to sell at higher price. http://agriculturenigeria.com/farming-production/horticulture/watermelon

 

Harvesting:

 

Harvest Maturity Indices:

Watermelons should be harvested at full maturity to ensure that good quality fruit are delivered to the market. The fruit do not develop internal colour or increase in sugar content after being removed from the vine. Harvesting usually begins 3-4 months after planting. Maturity is sometimes difficult to determine.

 

Commonly used non-destructive maturity indicators include fruit size, skin colour, the amount of surface shine or waxiness, the colour of the ground spot, the sound of the fruit when tapped, and the condition of the tendril at the first node above the fruit. Growers should also become familiar with the changes in external appearance of the fruit of the particular cultivar grown as it nears maturity in order to develop more confidence in the best stage for harvesting. Each cultivar has a known average fruit size, controlled by the genetic make-up of the cultivar and influenced by environmental conditions. Based on previously established average fruit size, the timing of harvest can be approximated. As the fruit approaches maturity the surface may become a bit irregular and dull rather than glossy. The ground spot (the portion of the melon resting on the soil) changes from pale white to a creamy yellow at the proper harvest maturity.

 

The ground spot colour is easily revealed by gently rolling the fruit over to one side while still attached to the vine. Very experienced grower can determine ripeness stage based on the sound produced when the fruit is thumped or tapped with the knuckles. Immature fruit will give off a metallic ringing sound whereas mature fruit will sound dull or hollow. Another reliable indicator of fruit ripeness is the condition of the tendril (small curly appendage attached to the fruit stem slightly above the fruit). As the fruit become mature, the tendril will wilt and change from a healthy green colour to a partially desiccated brown colour. Several destructive indices can be used on randomly selected fruit to predict harvest maturity of the remaining fruit in the field of similar size. When the fruit is cut in half longitudinally, the entire flesh should be well-coloured and uniform red (unless it is a yellow-flesh type). Immature melons have pink flesh, mature melons have red to dark red flesh, and over-mature fruit have reddish-orange flesh. For seeded cultivars, maturity is reached when the gelatinous covering around the seed is no longer apparent and the seed coat is hard and either black or brown in colour. Melon fruit that has plenty of white seeds is not mature. The soluble solids content of the juice is another commonly used harvesting index. Soluble solids in watermelon consist mostly of sugars. Soluble solids content in the centre of the fruit is at least 10% as an indicator of proper maturity. Soluble solids content is determined by squeezing a few drops of juice on a hand-held refractometer. In addition, the flesh of mature fruit should be firm, crisp, and free of hollow heart.

 

The watermelon stem should be cut rather than pulled from the vine to avoid damage to the stem end. Do not stack fruit on their ends, as this is where the rind is thinnest.

Useful maturity indicators are listed below; however, it is still advisable to cut open a few fruit to check maturity before harvesting commences.

 

Maturity indicators include:

• A dull hollow sound when the fruit is tapped with the knuckles
• The change from white to cream or pale yellow of the skin area where the melon has been resting on the soil
• Shrivelling of tendrils on nodes to which melons are attached.
• Slight ribbing on surface of fruit can indicate maturity in some varieties.
• The Brix test is the most objective way of testing maturity. It assesses the total soluble solids (soluble solids is related to sugar content and is an indicator of sweetness) of the melon flesh. The test is becoming more popular with many retailers insisting on specific brix levels particularly in seedless lines.

A sharp knife should be used to cut melons from the vines; melons pulled from the vine may crack open. Harvested fruit are windrowed to nearby roadways, often located 10 beds apart. A pitching crew follows the cutters and pitches the melons from hand to hand, then loads them in trucks to be trans­ported to a shed. Melons should never be stacked on the blossom end; as excessive breakage may occur.

Loss of foliage covering the melons can increase sunburn. Exposed melons should be covered with vines, straw, or excelsior as they start to mature to prevent sunburn. Each time the field is harvested, the exposed melons must be re-covered. Most fields are picked at least twice. Some fields may be harvested a third or fourth time, depending upon field condition and market prices.

 

International Harvest Standard for watermelon

Refer to:    http://www.itfnet.org/gfruit/Templates%20English/watermelon.harv.standard.htm

 

Postharvest Handling and Packaging:

 

Physiological Changes:

Sugar content does not change after harvest, but flavour may be improved due to loss in acidity of slightly imma­ture melons. Fruit can get over-ripe fairly quickly if not cooled. However, watermelon colour will continue to improve for up to 7 days after harvesting if kept at temperatures of 18°-22 °C, but it will actually fade (get lighter) if kept at temperatures of below 12 °C for long periods of time. It is important to note that once harvested the sugar content or sweetness will not improve. Chilling injury will occur after several days below 5°C. The resulting pits in the rind will be invaded by decay-causing organisms. Moisture content and pH of the injured watermelon were higher than those of normal watermelon. However, colour tone (Lab), hardness, soluble solid, and total amino acid and sugar contents of the injured fruit were lower than those of normal fruit.

 

Watermelons exposed to various concentrations of ethylene (C₂H₄) for 3 or 7 days of storage at 18^oC deteriorated rapidly.  Exposure to C₂H₄ reduced the rind thickness and firmness of melons.  Almost all of the melons exposed to 30 or 60 µl/litre ethylene for 7 days were unacceptable for consumption.

Less than 50 % of the melons exposed to any concentration of ethylene were acceptable for consumption.

Watermelons, particularly early in the season, are sometimes shipped in mixed loads with other produce or they may be stored in central warehouses near products that may emit C₂H₄.Watermelons are usually harvested at their peak maturity and flavor, generally will not improve with storage. An increase in C₂H₄ production is associated with the respiratory peak and with the end of senescence after harvest.

 

Watermelons are detrimentally affected by ethylene and should not be held with cantaloupes, honeydews or other mixed melons. The whole fruit may become spongy and the internal pulp may become mealy and breakdown if exposed to low concentrations (>0.5 ppm) of ethylene.

 

Principal Postharvest Diseases:

Postharvest diseases are important sources of postharvest loss in watermelon production. This loss depends on cultural practices adopted during production and also the local climatic conditions at harvest. Disease pressure is greater in areas with high rainfall and humidity during production and harvest. A number of pathogens may cause postharvest decay of watermelon. The primary defence against the occurrence of decay is the exclusion of diseased fruit from the marketing chain through careful selection at harvest and appropriate fruit grading before shipment. Holding fruits at 10°C will slow down the rate of disease development, compared to ambient temperature storage. There are no postharvest fungicide treatments for watermelon. Common fungal diseases that cause rind decay after harvest include black rot (Didymella sp.), anthracnose (,Colletotrichum sp.), Phytophthora (Phytophthora sp.) fruit rot, Fusarium, and stem-end rot (Lasiodiplodia theobromae). The most common postharvest bacterial disease is soft rot.

Anthracnose decay of watermelon fruit	Greasy spot and associated whitish mold growth of Phytophthora infected fruit.
Fusarium rot on ‘Sugar Baby’ watermelon	Symptoms of stem-end rot

 

 

Postharvest Treatments:

 

Types of Packaging:

Melons should be packed in clearly marked cardboard bins. Inspect all containers to ensure no sharp objects, which may damage the fruit, are present. Ensure minimum handling of melons, as extra handling is expensive and may harm the fruit. Seeded melons are sorted and packed in large, stur­dy, tri-wall fiberboard containers. The melons are sort­ed according to grade: number 6.4 to 11.8 kg, and number 3.6 to 6.4 kg. Inferior melons may be sold at nearby markets; culls (discolored, misshapen, sugar-cracked, rotted blossom end, and insect-damaged fruit) are discarded. Containers that hold 60 to 80 melons and weigh 500 to 545 kg are shipped on flatbed trucks to terminal markets or wholesale receivers. The containers are covered to prevent sunburn in transit.

 

Seedless melons are sorted according to size and packed in cartons containing 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 fruit. “Fours” and “fives” are preferred sizes; “sixes” and “eights” are common later in the season after the crown-set melons have been removed from the vine. The rough gross weight of a carton is 18 to 22.7 kg. Seedless melons may also be sold in large bulk containers. Personal seedless watermelons are sorted by size and packed in single-layer boxes containing 6, 8, 9, or 11 fruit. Shipping boxes roughly weigh 15 kg and arranged 50 boxes per

pallet.

 

Storage and Transportation:

Watermelons do not store well as they are susceptible to chilling injury, and are subject to decay at higher temperatures. Watermelons may lose crispness and color in pro­longed storage. Temperatures below 10 °C can result in chilling injury to the fruit (pitting of the skin, flesh breakdown and black rot). Watermelon should be cooled to between 12-15 °C within 24 hours of harvesting, if they are to be stored for long periods of time. They should be held at 10° to 15°C and 90 percent relative humidity. Under the ideal conditions of 7 ° C and a relative humidity of 80 to 90 per cent melons can be stored for up to two weeks. The general consensus is that watermelons will keep for 2-3 weeks if stored at between 12° – 15 °C.

 

Processed Products

Types of Products:

 

Ale	Chewy gum	Jelly
Carbonated Juice	Watermelon mousse	Pickle
Watermelon spread	Sweet/ Twist	Extract from watermelon for treatment of mouth ulcer
Watermelon Yogurt	Watermelon Punch	Body Scrub
Kids Watermelon Sandwich Cookies

 

Processing Techniques:

Kids Watermelon Sandwich Cookies

Kids will love them!

Ingredients

• 12 (3-inch) blueberry pancakes, cooled to room temperature
• 1/2 cup white frosting
• 6 (2/3-inch thick and 3-inch round) seedless watermelon slices, drained to remove excess moisture

 

Instructions

Evenly frost the bottoms of each pancake with the white frosting. Arrange six of the pancakes, frosting side up on a serving platter. Place a slice of watermelon on each of the frosted pancakes on the platter. Top each with the remaining pancakes, frosting side down. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6.

 

Watermelon Banana Split

A Healthy Twist to an Old Favourite

 

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1 medium watermelon
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup caramel fruit dip
• 1/4 cup honey roasted almonds

 

Instructions

Peel bananas and cut in half lengthwise then cut each piece in half. For each serving, lay 2 banana pieces against sides of shallow dish. Using an ice cream scooper, place three watermelon “scoops” in between each banana in each dish. Remove seeds if necessary. Top each watermelon “scoop” with a different fruit topping. Drizzle caramel fruit dip over all. Sprinkle with almonds. Makes 4 servings.

 

Watermelon Dippers

This Fresh Dip with a Hint of Sweetness Makes a Treat Kids Will Love

Ingredients

• 8 ounces sour cream
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Watermelon stix or small wedges

 

Instructions

Blend together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small serving bowl. Use as a dip for the watermelon.

 

Packaging of Products:

 

Variety	Seedless Red
Packing	10Kg – 12 Kg/Box
Count	2/Box
Size	5Kg – 6Kg
Storage Temp	10°C – 12°C
Shelf Life	2 – 3 Weeks
Carton Size	450mm x 255mm x 245mm
Air Sipment	60 Cartons / LD1 / LD3
Sea Shipment	20′RF (1250 Cartons), 40′RF (2500 Cartons)

 

Types of packaging:

 

Watermelon syrup in glass bottle	Watermelon juice in aluminium can
Watermelon fruit with Styrofoam jacket	Watermelon fruits in paper box cushioned with newspaper shreds
Watermelon juice in plastic bottles	Corrugated paper boxes for packing of fresh watermelon fruits

Source: http://www.itfnet.org/v1/2016/05/watermelon-post-harvest-processing/

 

Watermelons Exporting Companies #

According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following companies are also examples of watermelon-trading companies located in the country shown within parentheses:

• AA Group, S COOP (Spain)
• Agronest (Mexico)
• 3GM (United States)
• Samouilidis Josef (Greece)
• Cooperative Lukus (Morrocco)
• Hoang Tho Co Ltd (Vietnam)
• AMOT-ADEX Internacional, Importacao e Exportacao LTDA (Brazil)
• Yunnan Chuntian Agricultural Products Co Ltd (China)
• Golden Aroma Agr Sdn. BHD (Malaysia)
• Euro-Piramis Bt. (Hungary)

 

Exporters of watermelon from Nigeria

Company	Country	Date Added
Just Greens (Exporter) Fruits & Vegetables : watermelon and Tomatoes.	Nigeria	27-Jul-2017
Jamies Vegetables Nig Limited (Exporter) Fresh Vegetables & Fruits : Onions, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrot, Pineapple, Avocado, Pear, Cabbage, Beetroot, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Okra, Corn, watermelon etc. Yam, Cassava, Paw Paw, Celery, Palm Seed/oil, Coconut, Fresh Garlic, Gingers, Cocoa.	Nigeria	12-Jul-2017
Great Strokes Agricultural Products And Services (Exporter & Importer) Fruits & Vegetables : Cucumber, Tomatoes, watermelon, Plantain. Seafood : Snail, Tilapia Fish. Agricultural Products : Maize. Cocoa, Cassava, Palm Carnel.	Nigeria	21-Mar-2017
Isi Global (Exporter) Fruits : watermelon, Melon. Farm Products, Honey, Garri, Pepper.	Nigeria	20-Mar-2017
Farm Freshng (Exporter) Agricultural Products : Corn. Dry Fruits : Cashew Nuts. Fruits & Vegetables : Carrots, Ginger, Garlic, Cucumber, watermelon, Garri, Okra, Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Pepper, Onions. Edible Oil : Palm Oil. Cassava, Yam, Cocoa Seeds, Palm Kernel, Palm Kernel Oil, Coconut, Groundnut etc.	Nigeria	21-Jul-2016
Econuga Integrated (Exporter) Dry Fruits : Cashew Nuts. Fruits & Vegetables : Onions, watermelons. Edible Oil : Palm Oils. Bitter Kola ( Garcinia ), Kola Nuts, Charcoal, Wood Logs, Foodstuff, Starch, Shea Butter.	Nigeria	28-Apr-2016
SamJanet Farm (Exporter) Agricultural Products : Maize. Fruits : Plantain, watermelon. Poultry Products : Eggs. Livestock (Pig).	Nigeria	25-Feb-2016
Global-impact Ventures Nigeria (Exporter & Importer) Dry Fruits : Cashew Nuts. Agricultural Products : Maize. Fruits & Vegetables : Tomatoes, watermelon. Petroleum Products : Oil & Gas, Automated Gas Oil (AGO) & PMS. Charcoal, Sesame Seeds. Automobile / Auto Parts.	Nigeria	03-Feb-2016
Libral Investment NIG. Ltd. (Exporter) Edible Oils : Palm Oil. Agricultural Commodities : Wheat, Maize. Spices : Pepper. Vegetables : Tomatoes, Potatoes, Onions, Ginger, Garlic, Carrots. Fruits : watermelon, Mangoes, Oranges, Pineapples, Bananas, Guava. Cassava, Groundnuts, Yam, Plantain.	Nigeria	09-May-2015
Quantum Particles Ltd (Exporter & Importer) Cocoa Products, watermelon Seeds, Plastic Waste, Plastic Products, Cocoa Beverage, Promotional Gift Items.	Nigeria	23-Mar-2004

http://www.globalsuppliersonline.com/Nigeria/Watermelon

 

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