Kazakhstan's melon sector is facing another contraction this year, with planted areas for watermelons and melons down 4.4% to 93,800 hectares, according to the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS). The sharpest decline came in Turkestan, the country's main watermelon-growing region, where farmers reduced acreage by 16.5% to 61,600 hectares. Analysts warn that total harvest volumes are likely to fall below last year's levels.
At the same time, imports are rising at an unprecedented pace. In the first five months of 2025, Kazakhstan imported 16,000 tons of melons, 3.2 times more than a year earlier. Uzbekistan has emerged as the dominant supplier, accounting for 71.6% of the total. Between January and May alone, Uzbekistan's exports of watermelons to Kazakhstan increased from 390 tons in 2024 to 9,000 tons this year. By the end of June, Uzbekistan reported shipping a record 44,000 tons of watermelons across the border.
The trend follows a difficult 2024 season for Kazakh growers. Last year, the total output of melons and watermelons dropped by 12.1% to 2.5 million tons. The decline was driven by a sharp fall in watermelon production, which fell nearly one-third to 1 million tons, down from 1.4 million in 2023. Melon harvests, by contrast, rose 9.3% to almost 1.5 million tons. Acreage also fell by 8.9% to 98,100 hectares.
Despite lower harvest volumes, Kazakhstan's exporters managed to boost overseas sales. Shipments of watermelons and melons reached a record 74,600 tons in 2024, up 18.6% year-on-year. Imports, though smaller by comparison, also grew by almost 20% to 54,800 tons.
Source: 24.kz