Watermelon prices are expected to remain steady at the current price throughout Ramadan, provided the weather stays fair.
Vendors at the stalls of the local market in Male' predict that prices of watermelon will remain steadily at the current rate through out the month of Ramadan.
They say that the supply of watermelon will be high this Ramadan as agricultural efforts in various islands are seeing healthy harvests of the fruit this year, and due to this, the price is expected to remain steady.
It takes approximately two months from cultivation to harvesting a field of watermelon. The fruit is grown in phases, with the aim of supplying them to the market consistently on a daily basis.
Watermelon is the one fruit that is decidedly most in demand during Ramadan, especially to make 'karaa fani' [fresh water melon juice, usually with tiny diced pieces of watermelon in it] for breaking fast.
All the stalls in the local market already have watermelons for sale. Some watermelons seem extraordinarily larger in size, with some weighing almost 5 kilograms.
"The big ones over there are Maldivian watermelon. The smaller ones are Indian watermelon," one of the stall keepers pointed out the varieties.
The vendors seem certain that watermelon prices will not rise this Ramadan, as they feel their will be no shortage in supply.
Watermelon is priced at between MVR 17 and MVR 25 per kilogram. This is the same price watermelon was sold at even before the approach of Ramadan.
Indian watermelon prices are expected to go even lower in the coming days. This is because, unlike Maldivian watermelon, Indian watermelon has been observed to get spoiled in a shorter duration.
"Indian watermelon goes bad and gets cracked from inside. Maldivian watermelon last a while longer," one vendor explained.
Locally, most watermelon are brought to the market from Alif Alif atoll Thohdoo, Shaviyani atoll Goidhoo, Thaa atoll Kandoodhoo and Kaafu atoll Kaashidhoo.
Vendors say that if the weather remains fair, like at present, likelihood of prices rising is low.
It is only when adverse weather conditions prevent watermelon from being transported for sale that prices go up, according to them.
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