Hama-Sana
Red watermelon has become one of the alternative intensive cultivations in a number of areas in the western Hama countryside and a source of income for many families.
The town of Al-Rabiah in the western Hama countryside is one of the most important areas for growing red melon, which has witnessed a remarkable expansion and demand during the current season. Rami Haider, a farmer and owner of a field planted with watermelon, told SANA that the amount of production is good for this season, ranging from 6 to 7 tons per acre. The prices of the crop are acceptable and remunerative for farmers, and they currently range between 200 and 250 Syrian pounds per kilogram, stressing the importance of launching agricultural and productive projects, especially in light of the current conditions and living conditions and the people’s urgent need to find income-generating projects.
In turn, the agricultural engineer Mazen Ibrahim, a resident of the village and the owner of a field for the production of red melon, indicated that despite the circumstances and the high prices of requirements for the production and cultivation of this crop, the quantities of production this year are abundant and have achieved material revenues and profitable profits for farmers.
The area of land planted with the melon crop in the village of Al-Rabiah exceeds 1500 dunams, and the Hama Agriculture Directorate estimated the governorate’s production for the current season at more than 40 thousand tons.
Ivana Diop