The solution to the scorching heat was found in wrapping the watermelons in the field one by one with newspapers.

With the start of the watermelon harvest in the fertile lands of Hatay, the mouth-watering taste finds buyers between 10 and 15 TL per field. In these days when the scorching heat is above seasonal norms, the producer is protecting the watermelons in the field by individually wrapping them to shield them from the heat. In Hatay, which was hit by an earthquake, wounds are being healed and efforts are continuing. With many products growing in its fertile lands, Hatay is now harvesting mouth-watering flavors as the summer season arrives. The harvest of watermelons grown in open fields in Kurtbağı Neighborhood of Arsuz district has begun. The natural watermelon, leaving a delicious taste in the mouth, is finding buyers at a price range of 10 to 15 TL per kilogram from the field. As the temperature is above seasonal norms these days, the products of farmers in Adana and Diyarbakır were damaged due to sudden heat. Sezer Kala, who grows watermelons in Kurtbağı Neighborhood, found the solution to prevent the produce from burning by individually wrapping them with newspapers.
“I tried wrapping the watermelons with newspapers to prevent the sun from burning them, and I saw that it was beneficial.” Sezer Kala (34), who is harvesting in Kurtbağı Neighborhood, stated that he took precautions against the heat by individually wrapping the watermelons with newspapers, saying, “The weather is hot but we have to harvest because there is a lot of effort involved. We cannot waste this effort. When the watermelon enters the ripening period, it gives its strength to the fruit, so the shrub becomes somewhat insufficient. Some watermelons are left uncovered as they grow, and the sides facing the sun get burned. To prevent the sun from burning the watermelons, I first tried wrapping them with newspapers, and then I saw that it was beneficial. The sun doesn’t burn them, so I covered all of them with newspapers. We work diligently, and we are not strangers, family, friends, and relatives work together. The daily wage is between 2,000 and 3,000 TL. In previous years, I used to plant all of them at once, but this year I implemented a different system, planting at intervals of 1 month and 20 days. We started the watermelon harvest last week, we are still continuing, and we still have watermelons that are yet to ripen, which were planted later. We have about 6-7 acres of land. Watermelons take about 80 to 90 days to mature, maybe even longer. I started planting in April. Currently, I sell them from the field at a price between 10 and 15 TL. I already have my own stand where I sell to my own customers.