10 World’s Biggest Watermelon-Producing Countries– Based on the 2021 FAO Statistical Database (FAOStats), there are 10 World’s Biggest watermelon-producing countries. These countries certainly have their own preferences for watermelon plants. The fruit is sweet, crunchy, and refreshing, and its taste is a very lovely dream of the consumers.
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a type of creeping plant that is widely cultivated throughout the world. Taxonomically, watermelon plants are included in the Division: Spermatophyta; Subdivisions: Angiosperms; Class: Dicotyledonae; Order: Cucurbitales; Family: Cucurbitaceae; Genus: Citrullus; Species: Citrullus lanatus. Watermelon is an annual fruit plant that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family so that it has a close relationship with other similar plants such as melon (Cucumis melo L.), chayote (Sechium edule), Calabash (Lagenaria siceraria (Mol) Standl.), pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Dutch ex Poir), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).
Watermelon cultivation has been carried out for a long time ago. Historically, wild watermelon seeds have been found at the site of prehistoric Libya Uan Muhuggiag. There is also evidence of the discovery of watermelon seeds in the tombs of Pharaohs in Egypt. Until now, watermelon cultivation has spread to various parts of the world. They cultivate this plant because the fruit produced has a taste that is liked by all human beings.
The World’s Production, Harvested Areas, and Yied of Watermelon From 1980 to 2021
| Years | World’s Harvested Areas | World’s Production of Watermelons | Yield / Productivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Hectares) | (Tonnes) | (Tonnes / Hectare) | |
| 1980 | 1,910,505 | 26,406,813 | 13.82 |
| 1981 | 1,929,646 | 27,720,834 | 14.37 |
| 1982 | 2,034,636 | 28,749,585 | 14.13 |
| 1983 | 2,022,311 | 28,837,337 | 14.26 |
| 1984 | 2,060,209 | 29,572,949 | 14.35 |
| 1985 | 2,359,820 | 35,304,287 | 14.96 |
| 1986 | 2,403,910 | 35,614,953 | 14.82 |
| 1987 | 2,529,865 | 38,947,629 | 15.40 |
| 1988 | 2,433,570 | 37,556,799 | 15.43 |
| 1989 | 2,336,817 | 34,959,232 | 14.96 |
| 1990 | 2,111,636 | 34,869,745 | 16.51 |
| 1991 | 2,194,802 | 35,076,230 | 15.98 |
| 1992 | 2,227,229 | 36,298,250 | 16.30 |
| 1993 | 2,251,716 | 38,250,482 | 16.99 |
| 1994 | 2,214,555 | 38,396,780 | 17.34 |
| 1995 | 2,333,914 | 41,629,490 | 17.84 |
| 1996 | 2,454,035 | 47,640,784 | 19.41 |
| 1997 | 2,559,660 | 59,830,049 | 23.37 |
| 1998 | 2,831,828 | 61,283,263 | 21.64 |
| 1999 | 3,007,489 | 73,244,540 | 24.35 |
| 2000 | 3,151,652 | 76,682,625 | 24.33 |
| 2001 | 3,260,864 | 83,457,943 | 25.59 |
| 2002 | 3,309,783 | 90,454,623 | 27.33 |
| 2003 | 3,444,898 | 88,569,265 | 25.71 |
| 2004 | 3,239,654 | 88,212,496 | 27.23 |
| 2005 | 3,251,725 | 91,175,032 | 28.04 |
| 2006 | 3,338,552 | 93,645,586 | 28.05 |
| 2007 | 3,227,256 | 86,712,249 | 26.87 |
| 2008 | 3,145,372 | 89,261,586 | 28.38 |
| 2009 | 3,164,891 | 91,507,311 | 28.91 |
| 2010 | 3,205,998 | 93,530,533 | 29.17 |
| 2011 | 3,205,294 | 94,572,802 | 29.51 |
| 2012 | 3,129,899 | 96,155,754 | 30.72 |
| 2013 | 3,153,614 | 97,531,790 | 30.93 |
| 2014 | 3,166,594 | 99,217,602 | 31.33 |
| 2015 | 3,177,005 | 100,991,423 | 31.79 |
| 2016 | 3,203,404 | 102,395,019 | 31.96 |
| 2017 | 3,098,492 | 100,949,292 | 32.58 |
| 2018 | 3,110,357 | 100,959,810 | 32.46 |
| 2019 | 3,072,271 | 101,841,525 | 33.15 |
| 2020 | 3,002,429 | 101,916,818 | 33.94 |
| 2021 | 3,031,544 | 101,634,720 | 33.53 |
| Source : FAOSTAT, 2023 | |||
In the World’s statistic of Watermelon, the world’s production of Watermelon from 1980 to 2021 has increased substantially. In 1980, the world’s production of watermelon reached 26 million tonnes with harvested areas around
1.9 million hectares (ha). Meanwhile, in 2021, the world’s production of watermelon achieved 100 million tonnes with harvested areas around 3 million hectares (ha). Based on the productivity, It also increased from 13 tonnes/hectare in 1980 and become 33 tonnes / hectare (ha).
Based on statistical data from the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2019, the total production of watermelon fruit worldwide reached 100 million tons with the watermelon plant area recorded reaching 3 million hectares spread throughout the world. When viewed from the distribution, the Asian continent is still the center of watermelon production with a total harvest of 79 million tons (79% of total worldwide watermelon production), followed by the African continent with 7.5 million tons (7.5% of total worldwide production) and the Americas with production reaching 6.9 million tons (6.9% of the worldwide watermelon production).
The Production of Watermelon Based on Continent in 2021
| Continent | Production of Watermelon in 2021 |
|---|---|
| (Tonnes) | |
| Africa | 7,781,756 |
| Americas | 6,750,007 |
| Asia | 80,871,823 |
| Europe | 6,051,693 |
| Oceania | 179,441 |
| Source : FAOSTAT, 2023 | |
Based on the continental statistics in 2021, the production of watermelon in 2021 still dominated in Asia with production around 80 million tonnes. Africa, Americas, and Europe are the next position with production 7.7 million tonnes, 6.7 million tonnes, and 6 million tonnes.
When viewed from the level of producer countries, there are 10 World’s Biggest Watermelon-Producing Countries in 2021. This data is obtained from the FAO Statistical Database (FAO Stats) in 2021.
Rank Table of the 10 World’s Biggest Watermelon Producing Countries in 2021
| Ranks | Countries | Production of Watermelon in 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| (Tonnes) | ||
| 1 | China, mainland | 60,862,347 |
| 2 | Türkiye | 3,468,717 |
| 3 | India | 3,254,000 |
| 4 | Brazil | 2,141,970 |
| 5 | Algeria | 2,075,874 |
| 6 | Russian Federation | 1,897,178 |
| 7 | Senegal | 1,611,188 |
| 8 | United States of America | 1,542,419 |
| 9 | Viet Nam | 1,534,613 |
| 10 | Kazakhstan | 1,383,474 |
| Source : FAOSTAT, 2023 | ||
Brief Description of the 10 World’s Biggest Watermelon Producing Countries
1. China
China is the World’s Biggest watermelon-producing country. According to data from FAO, the watermelon production of Mao Zedong’s country of origin reached 60.8 million tons in 2021. This large amount of production certainly makes China the world’s largest watermelon-producing country. Geographically, there are several central areas of watermelon cultivation in China which include Shandong, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Hubei, Jiangxi, Shanxi, Anhui, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Hainan, Zhejiang, and Beijing.
2. Turkey
Turkey is the 2nd Biggest Watermelon Producing Country in the World. According to data from FAO, watermelon production reached 3.4 million tons. Watermelon plants are widely cultivated in the Antalya region, Turkey.
3. India
India is the 3rd World’s Biggest Watermelon Producing Country. According to data from FAO, watermelon production reached 3.2 million tons. In Mahatma Gandhi’s home country, there are several central areas of watermelon cultivation. The region includes the states of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh. According to data from the National Horticulture Board (NHB) in 2018, in India, the largest watermelon-producing state is Uttar Pradesh with production reaching 619 thousand tons, followed by Andhra Pradesh with a production of 360 thousand tons, and Karnataka with a production of 336 thousand tons.
4. Brazil
Brazil is the 4th World’s Biggest Watermelon Producing Country. According to data from FAO, watermelon production reached 2.1 million tons. In Brazil, there are several central areas for watermelon cultivation. The area includes the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo, Goias, Bahia and Tocantins. Some types of watermelon that are popular in Brazil are Omaru Yamato, Charleston Gray, Fairfax, Crimson Sweet, Perola, and Embrapa.
5. Algeria
Algeria is the 5th Biggest Watermelon Producing Country in the World. According to data from FAO, watermelon production reached 2 million tons. In the African region, Algeria became the world’s largest watermelon producer from the African continent in 2019.
6. Russia
Russia is the 6th Biggest Watermelon Producing Country in the World. According to data from FAO, watermelon production reached 1.8 million tons. In this country, the main region in Russia that produces watermelon is Astrakhan City, a city located in the southern part of Russia.
7. Senegal
Senegal is the 7th biggest producer of Watermelon in 2021. According to FAO Statistical Corporate Database, the production of watermelon from Senegal reached 1,611,188 tonnes. Geographically, region of Niayes is one of the main areas of watermelon cultivation in Senegal.
8. The United States of America
The United States of America is the 8th World’s Biggest Watermelon Producing Country. According to data from FAO, watermelon production reached 1.5 million tons. The states in the United States with the largest watermelon production are Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, and Texas. In total, watermelon production from these 5 states accounts for 69% of the United States’ total national watermelon production.
9. VietNam
Vietnam in the 9th biggest producer of Watermelon in 2021. According to FAO Statistical Corporate Database (FAOSTAT), the production of watermelon from Vietnam reached 1,534,613 tonnes. in this country, there are some regions of watermelon production. Bình Dương, Son La, Dien Bien, Thua Thien Hue in the southern regions are some of the main areas of watermelon cultivation in Vietnam
10.Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is the 10th biggest producer of Watermelon in 2021. According to FAOSTAT, the production of Watermelon from Kazakhstan reached 1,383,474 tonnes. Economically, the watermelon from Kazakhstan also is imported into Russia with 30 percent of production were sold to Russia.
Bibliography 10 World’s Biggest Watermelon Producing Countries
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