José María Morelos, Q.R. — Ongoing rains are likely to delay the watermelon planting season in José María Morelos. State farmers say the unstable weather could force them to postpone planting to the end of February.
Local authority Fredy Arguello Pacheco says if the weather continues to be unstable, planting could be postponed since the excess water will rot any developing watermelons.
He says their 40 hectares of José María Morelos land earmarked for watermelon growth will likely be delayed by at least two weeks. He says many of his neighbors and other area farmers have invested in other crops due to the risk involved in planting watermelon.
There is growing concern among watermelon producers in José María Morelos since the delay in planting could affect production and end prices of the product. Quintana Roo watermelon producers hope that the weather improves in coming weeks to be able to start planting.
The southern regions of the state have been hit hardest by heavy rains with the continued entry of cold fronts arriving from the U.S.
