Thoddoo island in Alif Alif atoll, the largest producer of watermelons in the country, has been struck with pest infestations this year as well.

The island’s local government council said that the infestation appears to be of same kind that had struck their fields in Ramadan last year.

Hassan Abdulla, the council’s deputy chief, said that the scale of the impact is less than that of last year and that a price change cannot yet be predicted.

Bad weather and pests had destroyed about 85 percent of crops that the island grew for Ramadan. The island is known for its large farm lands and it leases out some of it explicitly to grow crops for the month of fasting.

Watermelons – in particular juice made from it – are staple for locals in the month of Ramadan.