Rare Virus Destroys About 1,000 Dunams of Watermelon Fields in Israel

Around 1,000 dunams of watermelon-growing land across Israel have been destroyed by an unusual virus affecting the crop, according to the Fund for Insurance of Natural Risks in Agriculture. That equals roughly 10% of all watermelon cultivation areas in the country.

The fund said the damage comes after weather-related harm to crops earlier in the season, and this year has also seen an outbreak of a cucurbit virus at a level 5 to 6 times above average. The report was published Wednesday, and the outbreak was also covered by Kan 11.

The virus harms the watermelon’s texture and taste, but officials said it does not pose a health risk to consumers. The fund estimates the losses at millions of shekels and warned that the damage could still expand.

Impacts have been recorded in several parts of the country, including the Jordan Valley, Lower Galilee, and the Gaza border area. Officials fear that as the harvest season advances, additional damage will be discovered in fields that have not yet ripened.