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Cases of viral diseases and crop grading mark the 2026 season in Goi\u00e1s. According to agents consulted by Hortifr\u00fati\/Cepea, excessive rainfall during sowing hampered the development of the state's first crops, resulting in average yields below 30 t\/ha in April. However, at the end of April and beginning of June, temperatures rose again, ensuring better productivity results and consequently better dilution of the main production costs, which remain high, especially due to increased spending on inputs and diesel. However, with the arrival of June, cases of viral diseases became more frequent in the region, generating a drop in productivity of 131 t\/ha compared to May.<\/p>\n
Thus, this scenario, coupled with lower demand for the fruit due to milder temperatures in the country's main consumption centers, and the loss of fruit quality in the field, resulted in a decrease of almost 50% in the average trading prices of larger watermelons (>12kg). Therefore, June ended with an average profitability of R$ 0.15\/kg for watermelon growers in Goi\u00e1s (79% lower than in May). The first three months of this year's harvest (April to June) showed results 77% higher than the same period last year. However, as many areas of the state were plowed, not all producers have been able to negotiate their fruit at these levels, with significant losses being recorded in the fields.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n