And that trend will continue as large seeded watermelons, once loved by the masses, take on a more limited role, and eventually could be limited to ethnic stores, roadside stands, and farmers’ markets. “Our business is 85 percent seedless,” said Tom Colin, owner of Timco Distributors Inc., Woodland, California. Timco Distributors still have seeded watermelons because they are needed to pollinate the seedless watermelon. “But there is little to no value in them,” Colin said.

As of July 30, large seeded watermelon out of the San Joaquin Valley sold for 16 cents to 18 cents per pound f.o.b., compared to 18 cents to 20 cents per pound f.o.b. for seedless watermelon, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Medium seeded watermelon sold for 12 to 14 cents per pound f.o.b. on the same date. But the difference in price tends to be more apparent as the summer season rolls on. By August 15, 2001, large seeded watermelons out of California sold for 14 cents to 15 cents per pound f.o.b., compared to 21 cents to 24 cents per pound f.o.b. for seedless watermelon. Smaller seedless watermelon sold for 11 cents to 12 cents per pound f.o.b. on the same date.

Seeded watermelon simply is not profitable anymore, Colin said. The emergence of seedless watermelon as king of the watermelon shelf is something that has happened in the past eight years. Quality of seedless watermelon has improved, and retailers like the smaller, more manageable size they get with the seedless varieties.

Size has become a factor, said Brent Harrison, vice president and salesman for Al Harrison Co., Nogales, Arizona. Harrison said that when it comes to seeded watermelons, many retailers limit weights to 18 pounds to 22 pounds. Some retailers in the East and Midwest will accept 30-pound to 35-pound watermelons, but that is about the limit, Harrison said. Above that weight, stores simply don’t have scales that can weigh them, he said. By contrast, seedless watermelons usually weigh 12 pounds to 18 pounds. Harrison said large seeded watermelons still will find a place in stores specializing in ethnic fruits and vegetables. Seeded watermelons remain popular in the Hispanic community, he said.

But seedless watermelon has taken control in many conventional supermarkets, especially in California. “Seedless is the dominant variety in California for sure,” said Dan Van Groningen, owner of Van Groningen & Sons Inc., Manteca, California. And California tends to lead the way as far as produce trends are concerned, Van Groningen said. He noted, however, that Wal-Mart Supercenter, Bentonville, Arkansas, and Save Mart Supermarkets, Modesto, California, still order a large quantity of seeded watermelons. But like other California watermelon growers, Van Groningen & Sons is heavily weighted on the seedless side. The company produces 75 percent seedless watermelon to 25 percent seeded. “For the retailer, there is more of a profit margin in seedless,“ Van Groningen said. And profit margin tends to steer the market, he said.

Van Groningen said he sees continued growth in seedless watermelon sales. “There is a lot more profit in seedless, and seedless watermelons yield better than seeded,” he said. Also, seedless watermelons are running larger than normal this year, and that will satisfy some of the people who still prefer large watermelons. Van Groningen said California seedless watermelons average between 13 and 22 pounds this season.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board, Orlando, Florida, reports that nationally, 53 percent of watermelons sold are seedless and 47 percent are seeded. But that figure does not account for watermelons that go into processing. And most processed watermelons are seedless, said Samantha Winters, director of communications for the board.

Needless to say, seedless watermelons have come a long way from being a novelty or specialty item in the 1990s. They are rapidly becoming the choice of retailers and consumers. That is not to say seeded watermelon will always have a following among longtime watermelon enthusiasts. But finding a large seeded watermelon for a big family picnic now may take some searching. To quote a verse from famed singer Bob Dylan, “The order is rapidly fadin’, and the first one now will later be last, for the times they are a-changin’.”