Ecological and economic aspects of the melon industry production potential under conditions of Ukraine's European aspirations

Abstract

The development of innovation, the widespread use of new technologies in crop production, reducing the negative anthropogenic impact on agrocenoses, is an important direction for achieving economic growth and improving the quality of the population's life in the modern world. The most important task of the agricultural sector of Ukraine is to provide the population with adequate and high-quality food. A significant place in implementing this task belongs to the melon industry, whose products are used not only fresh but also as a raw product for delicious dishes. The purpose of the research is to identify the current tendencies in the global market of melon crops and ecological economic aspects of the national production potential of melon cultivation in view of Ukraine's aspirations for accessing the European Union and to make suggestions concerning the increase of the production economic efficiency. The article presents the dynamics of the world production of watermelons and melons and identifies the world leaders in exporting and importing melon products. The characteristics of gross harvests, sown areas and the level of yield of melon food crops in Ukraine are given. The gross production of melon crops by categories of farms is characterized. Proposals for increasing the economic efficiency of melon production in Ukraine are provided.