One of the chronic problems of Turkish agriculture has been the annual waste of overproduced watermelons in a country that is one of the biggest consumers of the fruit. Every year newspapers report an enormous waste of watermelons, whose prices crash because of inadequate demand. Faced with low prices, growers don’t want to risk the cost of harvesting the fruit and leave watermelons to rot in the field.

Semsi Bayraktar, the president of the Union of Chambers of Agriculture of Turkey, says every year about 500,000 tons of watermelons are thrown away. Turkey is the No. 2 melon producer in the world after China. Turkey produces 5.6 million tons of watermelon and other melons; domestic demand is 4.9 million tons, with 55,000 tons exported to European countries. Prices remain high in the March-May early produce period but in summer prices decline sharply. Bayraktar says in summer the prices do not even meet costs.

This year, however, there have been some signs for an increase in demand for watermelons. The municipality of Yuregir in Adana province, one of the major sources of watermelons in Turkey, has been refining molasses from watermelons, which could significantly increase demand for the fruit. Workers first extract the juice of the melon and then boil it in huge vats for eight to 10 hours. Mahmut Celikcan, the mayor of Yuregir, said that studies made at Cukurova University and Adana Science and Technology University found the molasses to be a potential cure for many illnesses, including cancer, and that a patent has been applied for what has been labeled “super molasses.” Celikcan said stopping the wastage of watermelons could contribute some $71 million (250 million Turkish liras) a year to the economy.

Professor Osman Kola of the Food Engineering Department of Adana Science and Technology University said his research shows watermelon molasses to be “a product with high potassium minerals. It also has the minerals of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. It is also rich in lycopene that contains Vitamins A and C and that gives the red color to watermelon. This compound is good against heart and vascular diseases and prevention of cancer. Moreover it is also rich with nutritional fibers that help digestion.”