Malkangiri: With the day temperature soaring upto nearly 34 degree celsius, it’s notably clear that summer is going to be scorching hot this year and so will be the demand for the summer fruit, watermelon in the state.
A roadside watermelon vendor, Rama Behera of MV-11 village on the Malkangiri-Balimela Road stated that the fruit yield has been surplus this year. At present, it is being sold for Rs 30 to Rs 60 per piece. However, owing to the good production and increase in demand, the price may go down soon.
Speaking about the health benefits of the summer fruit, physician Bisweswar Mahapatra said, “More people could be saved from sunstroke if they consume fruits like watermelon, which help in maintaining the required water level in the body.”
Watermelon contains nearly 92 percent water. The fruit is full of nutrients such as Vitamin A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids.
However, watermelon is slightly acidic and if consumed at night, it may delay the process of digestion. The best time to eat watermelon is around 12pm -1 pm when the digestion process is faster.
