Texas watermelon production is expected to be average with better yields but lower quality fruit than last season so far, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
Juan Anciso, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Weslaco, and Larry Stein, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Uvalde, said the 2023 melon season was shaping up to be average in the Rio Grande Valley and Winter Garden regions. So, there should be plenty of Texas-grown watermelons to pick from at grocery stores, local farmers markets and roadside melon sellers.
At the beginning of the season, producers worried about drought and water supplies, but since May 1 the rains have created quality issues, Anciso said. Rainfall as the fruit developed on the vine led to lower brix measurements than in recent years, which impacted flavor and sweetness. Brix is the measurement of sugar in fruit.
“Yields are better than last year, but quality is down, and I think if you asked growers, they’d say it’s average across the board,” Anciso said. “Harvest is wrapping up in the Valley, and there are more watermelons making it to the market.”
