It is the month of August, the watermelon season, but the watermelon in outlets of Noyemberian city is sold at 160 drams per kilo. Watermelons imported from Georgia are sold here, at the distance of about 25 km.
We learned from the merchants bringing in watermelon from Georgia and delivering it to Noyemberian stores that the harvest of watermelon in Armenia is not good this year, the plantings of watermelon were burnt out from the sun. They told that they buy watermelon in Georgia paying 29 tetri per kilo. One lari is now equivalent to 255 drams, 29 tetri to 74 drams. Crossing the Armenian-Georgian border, and transporting about 25 km, watermelon become more than double in price.
Of course, the expensive price of watermelon sold in Noyemberian includes the profits of importers from Georgia and reseller in Noyemberian. However, in case of real competition, would watermelon be so expensive?
Voskan SARGSYAN
