National Watermelon Day

National Watermelon Day

Tim Hammerich
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
I’m Tim Hammerich with your Southeast Regional Ag Report.

Happy National Watermelon Day!

Today, August 3rd, we celebrate with watermelon producers around the country, especially those in two of the top producing states: Florida and Georgia.

It’s a busy time of year for these farmers, but, according to Mark Arney at the Florida-based Watermelon Board, it’s been a good harvest so far.

Arney… “The market is right now, is doing very well. You know, we're in pretty good shape. The quality has been very good from the beginning of the season. You know, you get growers that would say, 'hey, look, we're seeing some of the higher Brix rating'. And I think some of your farmers, you know what Brix is,. Brix is the sugar, the sugar content of the watermelons. And, and that's been quite good.”

Arney also included a couple of facts you may not know about the fruit, which as it turns out, is also a vegetable.

Arney… “So by weight, watermelon is the most consumed melon in the United States and that's followed by cantaloupe and honeydew. Watermelon consumption in the United States was approximately 5.1 billion pounds in 2019. And it really is the best value in the produce section among fruit per cost per serving.”

So have an extra slice or two today, and thank a watermelon farmer while you’re at it. Happy National Watermelon Day.

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