Donetsk, May 30 — DAN. Donetsk People’s Republic farmers will plant melons and watermelons on an area of some 300 hectares this spring, the press service of the regional Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry reported.

As of now, watermelons have been planted on an area of 140 hectares (55 percent of the target) while melons were planted on an area of 18 hectares (48 percent). By the end of spring sowing, DPR farmers will have planted 292 hectares of gourd crops, including 254 hectares of watermelons.

The planting season began in mid-March. Reports in late April said that a majority of DPR farming districts had planted crops on more than half of arable land (some 35,500 hectares).*jk