Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Zhao Yue) news: Turpan's Huozhou small watermelons are ripe! Come and taste these juicy watermelons!

On April 14, 2024, the Huozhou Small Watermelon Base in Yanghaiwan Village, Tuyugou Township, Shanshan County, Turpan City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, opened its orchard. Boasting the earliest maturing small watermelons in Xinjiang this year, the Huozhou small watermelons has drawn the attention of e-commerce businesses from both within Xinjiang and beyond, who are eager to explore partnership opportunities.

Photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows a staff showcases ripe small watermelons in a greenhouse of Huozhou Small Watermelon Base in Yanghaiwan Village, Tuyugou Township, Shanshan County, Turpan City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhao Yue)

In the greenhouse, the small watermelons sown in January this year have already grown and are hanging on the vines. This naturally ripened Huozhou small watermelon is harvested only once a year, with a picking period of just over 20 days. Each small watermelon weighs about one kilogram and can be easily held in one hand. With a slap of the palm, the small watermelon will split open to reveal its red flesh. Its rind is very thin and can be peeled by hand, and it tastes sweet with a hint of crunchiness.

Photo taken on April 14, 2024 shows an e-commerce merchant visits a greenhouse of Huozhou Small Watermelon Base in Yanghaiwan Village, Tuyugou Township, Shanshan County, Turpan City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhao Yue)

Wang Tao, the person in charge of Xinjiang Qinjianghong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., introduced that the company's greenhouse-grown Huozhou small watermelons are grown by retaining only one fruit per vine, thus ensuring the quality of the melons. The melons are notably sweet with abundant juice, featuring thin skins and thick, fine flesh. With a seasonal yield of nearly a hundred tons, the demand has often exceeded the supply since their market debut four years ago. This year, due to the lower local temperatures in Turpan, they have also specially used boilers inside the greenhouse to increase the temperature, ensuring that the small watermelons naturally mature and can be brought to market earlier.

After the Huozhou small watermelons hit the market, sweet melons such as Xizhoumi from Tuyugou Township will follow. "The sweet season has arrived in Turpan," said Zhang Yihe, director of the Turpan Municipal Agricultural Technology Extension Center. Due to the proximity of towns like Tuyugou Township to the Huoyan (Flaming) Mountains, the climate conditions are particularly suitable for growing watermelons. In recent years, Huozhou small watermelons have stood out among the many melons in Turpan and have become a delicious fruit favored by people both within Xinjiang and beyond.

Zhang Yihe said that the center will further promote the integration and development of the melon industry with tourism, culture, and other fields, create a more influential melon brand, expand sales channels, and allow more people to taste high-quality melons.

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