Agricultural Leaders: A Brief on Top Watermelon-Producing Countries

08 Sep 2026 • by Natalie Aster

The global watermelon market entered the 2025/26 season with expanding production in several major growing regions, stronger international trade and increasingly intense competition in the European market. China remains overwhelmingly dominant in global production, but India is recording significant crop growth, while Spain, Morocco and Greece are shaping seasonal trade flows into Europe.

The market is also becoming more sensitive to weather, irrigation availability, harvest timing and varietal preferences. Seedless and mini watermelons continue gaining commercial importance, while periods of abundant summer supply can rapidly pressure wholesale prices.

China Remains the World's Largest Watermelon Producer

China remains in a category of its own. The domestic watermelon industry is characterized by maturity and relative stability. The country's watermelon output is estimated at around 60 million tonnes annually. As of 2024, the Chinese production reached approximately 63.5 million tonnes, more than half of the world’s total output. China's enormous domestic market absorbs most production, however, meaning its leadership in cultivation does not translate into equivalent dominance in international exports. Long-term growth is increasingly driven by productivity rather than dramatic expansion of cultivated area. Improved cultivation technology, effective irrigation, climatic conditions and regional specialization remain important factors shaping Chinese production.

India's Watermelon Crop Expands Sharply

India is emerging as an increasingly important production center. Final National Horticulture Board data indicate output of approximately 4.85 million tonnes in 2024/25, compared with 3.72 million tonnes in 2023/24. The second estimate for the 2025/26 season puts production at around 4.56 million tonnes from 164,900 hectares. Although this represents a decline from the exceptionally strong previous crop, output would remain more than 20% above 2023/24 levels. India's scale is therefore becoming increasingly significant to the global watermelon supply picture.

Turkey, Algeria and Brazil Remain Major Producers

Based on the latest internationally comparable production statistics, Turkey harvested around 3.2 million tonnes of watermelons in 2024, while Algeria produced approximately 2.5 million tonnes and Brazil approached 2.0 million tonnes. These markets have different commercial profiles. Turkey benefits from access to European and neighboring markets, Algeria has achieved strong yields and substantial production growth, while Brazil combines domestic consumption with an increasingly important export business.

Spain Strengthens Its Position in the 2025/26 European Season

Spain remains Europe's most influential watermelon supplier. Spanish watermelon exports reached approximately 820,600 tonnes in 2025, increasing 3% year over year, while export value climbed 8% to about EUR 603 million. Germany remained the largest destination, followed by France and the United Kingdom. Momentum strengthened during 2026. Spanish watermelon cultivation expanded approximately 11% year over year to 12,272 hectares for the 2025/26 season. Government assessments at the beginning of the 2026 summer campaign also pointed to improved production prospects, particularly in Andalusia and Murcia, following several seasons disrupted by difficult weather and market conditions.

Morocco Challenges Spain in the EU Market

One of the most important structural changes is Morocco's expanding role. During the first half of 2026, Spain supplied approximately 162.6 million kg of watermelon to EU markets, while Morocco supplied 149.0 million kg. Spain represented 21.45% of EU purchases, but the narrowing difference illustrates Morocco's growing competitive importance. Moroccan suppliers nevertheless faced a difficult mid-season environment. As Spanish, Greek and Italian harvests reached European markets simultaneously, supply increased and prices weakened. Some Moroccan exporters temporarily suspended shipments when market prices no longer justified transportation costs.

Concluding Thoughts

The 2025/26 watermelon market highlights an increasingly competitive global industry. China retains unmatched production scale, while India is consolidating its position among the largest growers. In Europe, Spain remains the benchmark supplier, but Morocco is narrowing the gap and Greece continues to play an important seasonal role.

For producers, simply maximizing tonnage is becoming less attractive than optimizing harvest windows, yield, water use, fruit size, seedless varieties and logistics. Strong production and exports can support market expansion, but simultaneous harvest peaks can quickly create oversupply and squeeze prices. Future competitive advantage will increasingly belong to suppliers capable of combining efficient production with precise seasonal timing and access to high-value export markets.

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The Market Publishers, Ltd.
Natalie Aster
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