After a strong start of the year, the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) is renewing its marketing efforts with the “Slice of Happy Project”, a campaign that aims to install watermelon as the country’s “happiest fruit”.

According to a 2022 survey funded by the board, 100% of consumers say watermelon makes them feel happy, while 81% consider the fruit a “comfort food.” 

With this background, the NWPB is sharing recipes and nutrition facts to boost U.S. consumption, as peak watermelon season unfolds until August.

Related articles: A promising season for U.S. watermelons

A “digital happiness kit”,with exclusive promotional content, can also be requested on the board’s website.

According to data managed by the organization, the U.S. watermelon industry reached a value of $326 million in 2022. 

Volumes for the past year remained strong, at approximately 1.76 billion pounds.

"The vast majority of watermelon imported by the United States comes from Mexico. In fact, the value of these imports is $393,465,266, while the import trade volume is approximately 1.45 billion pounds,” NWPB Executive Director Mark Arney tells Agraria.pe.

Arney stresses that consumption trends remain up, with per capita consumption at almost 15.5 pounds in 2022. 

The executive adds that it will “continue to grow in the coming years, due to the intense work being done by the NWPB.”

Mexico, Central America, and South America are the top exporters for the U.S. market.