In the 2024 season, Kherson region plans to significantly expand the area under watermelon cultivation to 1,000 hectares, which is five times more than last year. In total, the region will grow vegetables on an area of 6 thousand hectares. This was announced by Dmytro Yunusov, acting director of the Department of Agriculture and Irrigation Development of the Kherson Regional Administration.

"While last year we planted only about 200 hectares of watermelons, this year we plan to increase this figure to a thousand hectares. We will also increase the area under other vegetable crops - potatoes and tomatoes - almost fivefold. This will be possible due to the growth of irrigation areas," said Yunusov.

Before watermelons took over the area, about 22.5 thousand hectares were planted in Kherson region.

Such a significant expansion is possible due to the increase in demined areas. As of the end of February, 184 hectares of agricultural land had been cleared in Kherson region.

"Sowing work is just beginning. We have recently started sowing peas, and the main sowing season will begin in March, around the first ten days, depending on the weather. We plan to sow almost 70 thousand hectares more, including 45 thousand hectares of sunflower, 16.8 hectares of spring wheat, and the rest of the area is for industrial crops," Yunusov added.