Melon production totalled 643,000 tons in 2008

Melon production in Italy totalled approximately 643,000 tons in 2008, a 4% increase compared with the previous year, when 616,664 tons were harvested, according to the Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO) in Italy.
 

On the other hand, the area assigned to melon crops decreased by 9.7% in the same period, since the 25,947 hectares cultivated in 2007 dropped to 23,429 ha in 2008.
 

Nevertheless, both production volume and acreage have remained fairly stable since 2005, with few significant fluctuations.