By Yu Jingxian, Dong Zeyang, People’s Daily
As the world largest producer and consumer of watermelons, China maintains a stable annual output of around 60 million tons. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, this accounts for roughly 60 percent of global production.
At Liguo Shunxin Supermarket in Jiaxiang county, east China’s Shandong province, stacks of round, glossy watermelons grown in Yunnan province stand out on the shelves. These “Mibao” watermelons sell for more than 4.99 yuan ($0.72) per 500 grams.
“Even though prices are higher than in summer, sales remain strong,” said store manager Zhang Hongtao, as he watched staff restock the watermelon display. Over the past half month, the supermarket has sold more than 80 kilograms of watermelons a day on average.
Zhang has noticed a pattern: during the off-season, customers tend to buy less per trip, but they shop more often and show strong interest in watermelons.
“They are juicy, sweet and not too heavy. Both the elderly and children in the family love them,” said a woman surnamed Zhang who was picking out a watermelon.
Wholesaler Li Jianguo explained the seasonal shift: “Spring and summer watermelons come from local farms, while winter supply transitions to southern regions. These varieties feature thicker rinds for transport resilience while maintaining consistent sweetness.”
“Watermelon supply and prices follow clear seasonal trends,” said Zhao Junye, a researcher at the Agricultural Information Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). After October each year, supply begins to decline and prices gradually rise. In the first quarter, the average national wholesale price usually exceeds 3 yuan per 500 grams. From April onward, as harvests increase significantly, prices fall quickly.
Blessed with abundant heat and sunlight, Hainan province in south China is one of China’s main winter production bases for fruits and vegetables. At the Beishanyang planting base in Haitang district of Sanya, Hainan province, the watermelon harvest has just been completed.
“Good varieties and careful packaging help ensure strong sales,” said Zhang Wei, head of the base and deputy general manager of Hainan State Farms Shenquan Group Co., Ltd. The Qilin seedless watermelons grown there, with bright red flesh and a crisp, juicy taste, are particularly popular in the market.
Because watermelons prefer warmth and sunlight but are sensitive to excessive moisture, the base has built greenhouses to shield plants from wind and rain while maintaining stable temperatures. A drip irrigation system and monitoring equipment also help create an ideal microclimate for growth.
Last year, this 33-hectare (500 mu) base achieved yields of approximately 2,500 kg per mu (0.067 hectares). “Our harvest sold out pre-harvest,” confirmed Zhang Wei, the base director.
What, then, is the secret behind China’s year-round watermelon supply?
Xu Yong, a researcher at the Beijing Vegetable Research Center of the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, told People’s Daily that China’s vast territory provides diverse climates and growing conditions.
Combined with the development of suitable varieties and the widespread use of modern agricultural techniques, such as greenhouse cultivation, integrated water and fertilizer management, and environmentally friendly pest control, farmers can grow watermelons in different regions throughout the year, Xu added.
China’s watermelon production is now concentrated in five major regions. Southern China supplies the market in winter; the Yangtze River basin and the Huang-Huai-Hai region bring early harvests in spring; the northwest extends the season with later harvests; and open-field cultivation in the northwest and northeast areas ensures supply during summer and autumn.
At the same time, breeding programs continuesly adapt to changing consumer preferences.
In Yanjia village of Yaojia township in Zhongmu county, central China’s Henan province, farmer Ma Xiuhong grows watermelons in greenhouses. In addition to conventional varieties, she has set aside half a mu to grow “rainbow watermelons.”
These “rainbow watermelons” are a specialty variety developed in recent years by the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute of CAAS. When cut open, the flesh displays red and yellow layers resembling a rainbow. The fruit is sweet, crisp and rich in beta-carotene.
Xu added that China now offers a wide range of watermelon varieties. They can be classified by maturity — early, mid-early or late; by size — large, medium or small; and by flesh colors — including red, yellow, orange and multicolored varieties.
Behind this diversity lies the advancement of technological innovation. China’s watermelon breeding technology ranks among the world’s leading levels. Domestic varieties account for more than 98 percent of the market, and high quality has become the standard.
As early as 2012, Xu’s team completed the world’s first watermelon genome map. The achievement effectively opened the “black box” of watermelon genetics, identifying genes related to resistance against diseases such as fusarium wilt, anthracnose and powdery mildew, while also clarifying the genetic mechanisms behind traits such as sugar content, fruit size and shape.
Xu said that future research will focus on improving both resistance and quality while expanding the diversity of varieties. “In particular, high-quality medium and small watermelons with diverse flesh colors are likely to become the highlight of future watermelon breeding,” he noted.
