It is time for the harvest of watermelons and melons in Turkmenistan. These fruits are traditional for the country and occupy most of the vegetable, fruit and gourd crops, reports “MIR 24”.

On the fields you can see a variety of melons, among which are Chardzhou, torpedo and Turkmen. Of the 1500 varieties of melons known in the world, 400 come from Turkmenistan. Melons are thrown from hand to hand and piled up. Watermelons grow nearby, which are also ready to be harvested.

“To determine the ripeness of a watermelon, you need to pay attention to the yellow spot on the peel, dry tail and sound when tapped. Watermelon should sound muffled, but not stupid”, explained farmer Mekan Hudayberdiyev.

From one hectare you can get up to 25 tons of watermelons. Farmers compete with each other in terms of quantity and quality of crops. The largest and sweetest gourds are grown in Ahal velayat. Crops are also known in Mary, Lebap and Dashoguz.

Melon crops are not only a food product, but also a symbol of wealth and hospitality in Turkmenistan.

“I love watermelons and melons. They are very healthy and refreshing in hot weather. This year we had a good harvest of gourds”, - said Ejebay Hakberdiyeva, a resident of the Balkan velayat.

The watermelon and melon season will continue until October. Early and medium varieties are being harvested now, and late ones will ripen later.