Frequent rains and cool weather are causing serious concerns about this year's watermelon harvest. Farmers say that even if the rest of the summer is more favourable, the watermelons growing in the fields may only ripen in mid-August and the harvest will not be large. Mareks Kantāns has been growing watermelons on his farm for eight seasons. This year, he has 50 varieties. Some are grown in greenhouses, while others are grown in open fields.
The situation looks more promising in greenhouses. In many places, the first watermelons were harvested in early June, but weather conditions are also very important there, Kantāns pointed out:
"The climate in greenhouses is dry, which is much more pleasant for them. But if the weather is rainy and cloudy, with little sun, there are also disadvantages. The plants wither and start to rot. Their leaves wither. So, you could say that even in a greenhouse, there is no good without bad. But in any case, it is much more promising in a greenhouse than in the field."
Despite this year's challenges, the industry has been thriving in recent years. Demand for Latvian-grown watermelons is high, and the number of growers is increasing. However, as experts point out, it is still a kind of lottery.
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