Lithuania's watermelon harvest withers under extreme weather
Erratic temperatures and heavy rains have devastated Lithuania's watermelon crops this year, pushing some growers toward near-total losses and prompting doubts about continuing cultivation.
Watermelons grown in Lithuania could become scarce this year after harsh weather conditions left many farmers with almost nothing to harvest. Sharp temperature swings combined with intense summer downpours have damaged crops so badly that some growers now expect only a handful of fruit instead of the several tons they had originally planned for.
Laura Dapkuvienė has been growing watermelons for five years in the Panevėžys district, since returning to Lithuania from abroad. The early years were difficult, but the crop gradually became a reliable source of family income. This year, however, she expects a sharp drop in output — based on the number of seedlings planted, she had anticipated around 4 to 5 tons, but now doubts she will harvest even one ton. She noted that the fruit is ripening unevenly and slowly, a result of abrupt shifts between hot and cold weather. Heavy rain caused particular damage: several intense downpours left water with no time to soak into the ground, and one of her fields was essentially lost.
Donata Jankauskienė, who grows watermelons in the town of Naujamiestis in the Panevėžys district, recalled that a few years ago Lithuanians were pleased their climate had become suitable for growing exotic produce. This year tells a different story, she said, joking that a true Lithuanian may need to return to potatoes and carrots and buy exotic fruit elsewhere. Two years ago she was harvesting some varieties as early as the beginning of August, but the harvest has been delayed by nearly a month for the past two years running, and this year's yield looks especially poor.
In better years, her family gathered hundreds of watermelons and even held sales fairs in their yard, drawing visitors who came to admire and taste the fruit. Facing a second disappointing season in a row, she is now questioning whether to continue growing watermelons at all, noting that protecting the plants from cold June nights would require building tunnels covered with both fabric and plastic.
Growers also expect consumers to pay significantly more for locally grown watermelons this year, with prices potentially doubling from around 1 euro per kilogram due to the poor harvest.
