Astrakhan melon growers intend to collect about 320,000 tons of watermelons and melons this year, said the governor of the region, Igor Babushkin.
The third of August is World Watermelon Day. The Astrakhan region is considered the “watermelon capital” of Russia. Every third Russian watermelon is grown in this region, and the berry itself is one of the main brands of the Astrakhan region.
“Now the harvest is in full swing on the Astrakhan fields. Astrakhan melon growers promise to harvest 320 thousand tons of watermelons and melons from 9,000 hectares. We will send some to Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as to Belarus and Kazakhstan,” the governor wrote in Telegram.
As a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing Industry of the region specified to RIA Novosti, the harvest of watermelons and melons last year was approximately at the same level.
According to Babushkin, the special pride of local breeders is “Watermelon Rainbow”. These are striped berries with green, yellow, white and orange flesh.
