Africa: business of watermelon production, a promising activity

This time of year in Cameroon, the watermelon is a fruit star, seducing consumers with its juicy, gourmet character. It’s only 9 a.m., and Zigfried Fona is busy watering watermelons with a sprinkler in his one-acre (one-third hectare) vegetable garden. He tries to keep the ground moist to ensure that his crops grow well.

“You need very good quality ground if you want your watermelons to grow well. So, if the ground is dry, you need to water them,

he explains. Zigfried lives in Batchenga, a village in the Lekié department in central Cameroon.

He learned to grow watermelons from his father. According to him, to profit from watermelons, the grower must adopt good farming practices. He adds that if the ground is fertile, the seedlings only need a week to germinate. He adds that weeding should begin three weeks after germination. When well cared for, the plants start producing fruit one month after germination.

The prices of his watermelons, sold in the Mfoundi, Mokolo and Huitième markets in Yaoundé, range from US$0.82 (500 FCFA) to US$4.95 (3000 FCFA), earning him nearly US$824 a year. He started growing watermelon in 2015, and maintains that the increase in his income makes him a happy man. According to Zigfried, although watermelon production is a profitable business, it’s not an easy one. In addition to the need for sufficient water and good ground, growers must also regularly spray pesticides to kill pests such as leafminers and flea beetles.

A culture of interest to several countries

With 2.2 million tonnes, Algeria is the leading watermelon producer in Africa and the Arab world, according to a ranking drawn up by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This volume of watermelon production also makes Algeria the world’s fifth largest producer, after China (58.96 million tons), Turkey (3.87 million tons), India (2.49 million tons) and Brazil (2.27 million tons).

Recent trends in the watermelon market have revealed significant changes in 2023, with a marked drop in Spanish imports from Morocco, offset by notable growth in purchases from Senegal and Mauritania. Traditionally Spain’s main supplier of watermelons, Morocco faced a significant drop in exports, posting a decline of 23.8%. Although the average purchase price remained relatively stable, the value of imports from Morocco fell from 88.40 million USD (81.55 million euros) to 56.78 million USD (52.38 million euros).

In contrast, watermelon imports from Senegal by 21.3%, while those from Mauritania grew by a spectacular 372.4%. These data clearly illustrate the dynamic evolution of the watermelon market, with traditional suppliers such as Morocco seeing their position weakened by the emergence of competitors such as Senegal and Mauritania. This market transformation could be attributed to a variety of factors, including climatic changes affecting production, evolutions in commercial practices and growing demand for diversified, quality products.

A lucrative opportunity for local farmers

Demand for watermelons is growing in Africa. Consumers are increasingly looking for healthy, refreshing foods. This has created a promising market for watermelons. Farmers have the chance to meet this growing demand and take full advantage of this opportunity. Growing watermelons offers a number of agronomic advantages. First of all, watermelons are adapted to Africa’s climatic conditions. This makes them relatively easy to grow in most parts of the continent. What’s more, they are resistant to disease and pests.

Watermelons are very rich in water and naturally low in fat. When incorporated into our daily diet, watermelon has a number of benefits, from improving our cardiovascular health to providing nutrients for our eyes and boosting our immune system. It’s possible to turn watermelon into wine.  Cameroonian Bibi Martial Arnaud, an agricultural engineer and agri-food specialist, has managed to add value to this fruit. He has created a local product bearing his name. It’s called “BiBi”, a white wine “made in Cameroon”. Africa needs agri-food industries.  Growth needs to be stimulated in sectors and areas where poor people live and work.

Agriculture still employs 60-70% of the working population, but accounts for only 20% of total value added. Productivity in the agricultural sector remains largely insufficient, despite the resolute commitment of African countries to change this situation. It is therefore essential to support smallholders by giving them access to modern technologies, appropriate financial services and improved market access. The agriculture and agri-food sector is expected to be worth almost $1,000 billion by 2030, a fact that the continent must capitalize on.