Large supply
"On a national level, watermelons from Southern areas have entered the market later due to cold Spring weather. As a result, Southern and Northern supply has simultaneously come available. This has pushed down overall watermelon prices. Our prices have remained stable. We grow in our crop indoor, and therefore could deliver to the market earlier. Secondly, the local government has slightly inflated watermelon prices to protect local growers."
Mr.Tian Yinghui
"Established in 2008, our company owns the registered trademark Xia Le. We have a 13 hectare inside plantation base in Xia County. Our main watermelon variety is the 8423, followed by a small volume of Jintong melons. During the plantation process, we use primarily organic fertilizer. We have our own packaging factory and we cooperate with external logistic companies. At this moment, we are actively engaged in the cooperation with online shops and fruit retailers. We sell our product to high-end fruit stores and wholesale markets in second tier cities in Shanxi province, as well as in Beijing, Wuhan city and throughout Henan province."
Early harvest
"Because we grow our crop indoor, our product hits the market one and a half month earlier. It is also protecting us against the risks of bad weather."
Mr. Fan Zhiqiang( right), associate member of the Xiale Quality Watermelon Industry Association, and the sales manager of Xiale Agriculture Technology Development, Mr. Tian Hongwei (left).
"Our county has a long history of watermelon cultivation. Compared to other watermelon growing areas in Northeast China , Xiale watermelons are sweet. For example, at the Beijing Xifadi wholesale market, Xiale watermelons are sold at 4 Yuan per kilo (around 0.50 euros), while watermelons from other regions can only be sold at around 2 Yuan/kilo. In recent years we managed to grow our production at a rate of 20% per year. This, as a consequence, has lead to increased competition among Xiale watermelon producers. Thanks to the establishment of the Xiale Quality Watermelon Industry Association, the watermelon volumes from the 200 hectares area around our county and their sales can now be regulated."
