The production of watermelons in Brazil
has continuedstableover thepast years. Ac-
cording to the latest consolidated data from
the Brazilian Institute of Geography and
Statistics (IBGE), made available by the de-
partment of Municipal Agricultural Produc-
tion (PAM), in 2016 Brazil cultivated 90,447
hectares with the fruit, with a total produc-
tion of more than 2 million tons, represent-
ing an average performance of 23 thousand
kilograms per hectare. In the previous year,
the planted area had reached 95,965 hect-
ares, and a harvest of about 2.1million tons
– that year, productivity remained around
22 thousand kilograms per hectare.
In 2017, Brazil shipped abroad
73,852,430 kilograms of watermelons
l
RISING TRAJECTORY
The impressive numbers of the crop are equally expressed in shipments. Cur-
rently, watermelons are included on the list of the most exported fruits. In 2017,
according to a survey by the Foreign Trade Statistics of Brazilian Agribusiness
(Agrostat), a division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply
(Mapa), 73,852,430 kilograms were negotiated abroad, which brought in revenue
of approximately US$ 36,336,111.
Compared to 2016, when 67,437,489 kilograms were shipped abroad, the vol-
ume is up 9.51% in weight. The difference in dollars is even more significant,
15.39%, against the US$ 31,491,045 in the previous year. In the 2017/18 crop
year, which started in August 2017, shipments have again been on the rise. Con-
sidering just one period of the season, August through December 2017, ship-
ments were up 3.5% from the same period in the 2016/17 season. The European
Union is the leading buyer, and demand for tropical fruits is on a rising trajectory.
The Northeast is the leading watermel-
onproducing region, witha total of 545,194
tons in 2016. In the region, states that lead
the production of watermelons are Bahia
and Rio Grande do Norte. The South ranks
second among the big producers of the
fruit, with 458,266 tons in the latest crop
analyzed by the IBGE. This region is also
home to the biggest producer of the fruit,
Rio Grande do Sul, with 283,979 tons from
14,809 planted hectares. The third biggest
concentration of the fruit is in the North,
with 426,124 tons, followed by the Center-
West and the Southeast, which, together,
reach 660 thousand tons.
Although producing the biggest vol-
umes, the farmers in Rio Grande do Sul
come after São Paulo when it comes to pro-
ductivity. In São Paulo, second largest na-
tional producer, with 10,537 hectares, av-
erage yield reached 26,661 kilograms per
hectare, against 19,176 kilograms per hect-
are in Rio Grande do Sul. However, accord-
ing to IBGE sources, the real leader in pro-
ductivity in Brazil, in 2016, was the State of
Goiás, with the incredible amount of 41,705
kilograms per hectare. The states that came
immediately after were Paraná, Rio Grande
doNorteandTocantins, withyields of about
29 thousand kilograms per hectare.
75
VIAJANTES
•
ON THE MOVE
Exportações brasileiras de melancia
Ano
2016
2017
Variação
Valor (US$) Peso (Kg) Valor (US$) Peso (Kg)
Valor
Peso
31.491.045 67.437.489 36.336.111 73.852.430 15,39% 9,51%
Fonte: Agrostat/Mapa.
VERDE E VERMELHO
•
GREEN AND RED
Produção nacional de melancia
Ano Área colhida Produção
Rendimento
Valor da produção
(hectares)
(toneladas) (quilos por hectare)
(mil reais)
2015
95.965
2.119.559
22.087
1.233.944
2016
90.447
2.090.432
23.112
1.351.434
Fonte: PAM/IBGE.
