Ñandutí / Field and Table / Guajayvi, San Pedro
Farmers in San Pedro send Paraguay's first watermelons to Uruguay
A 21-tonne shipment from Guajayvi opens a new market for a crop that is mostly sold at home.
Rocío Giménez, field and science reporter
· 2 min read
- 121 tonnes in the first shipment
- 2Grown in Guajayvi, San Pedro department
- 3More than 70% of the crop stays in Paraguay
Paraguay has exported watermelons to Uruguay for the first time. The 21-tonne shipment came from growers in Guajayvi, in the department of San Pedro, and reached the Uruguayan market this month.12
Producers see the sale as a way into a new market for a fruit that has so far been sold almost entirely at home. More than 70% of Paraguay's watermelon harvest goes to the domestic market, including school and social feeding programmes.3
A growing crop
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Paraguay grows watermelon on more than 4,000 hectares. The country produced over 65,000 tonnes in 2023, worth around US$12 million, and output is expected to pass 80,000 tonnes.3
Watermelon remains a small crop next to soybeans, maize and beef, but officials and producer groups say better logistics, training and quality control should help it find more buyers abroad.3
Where this came from
Rocío Giménez checked this story against the sources below. Numbers in the text point to them.
- 1The Asunción TimesParaguay Completes First Watermelon Export To Uruguay
- 2
- 3
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Rocío Giménez · Rocío studied agronomy at the National University of Asunción before moving into journalism. She writes about farming, food and research.