Ripe

Henan Luoning dry watermelons are so big this year that small melon farmers may not be able to take care of the cost

The reporter noticed that the watermelons in this cart only have adults. Hand size.

The reporter went to Luoning, where the "branded melons" are produced, to investigate. This year's drought has been severe, resulting in small melons with low yields and poor quality. Experts suggest that off-peak marketing and large-scale planting are the way out.

Nowadays, watermelons are on the market in large quantities. Luoyang’s local “brand melon” Luoning dry sweet melon is very popular for its medium size, thin skin and sweet taste. Especially the Guanzhuang Plateau area of ??Dongsong Township in Luoning County is very suitable for the growth of watermelons due to its high altitude, long sunlight hours, and large temperature difference between day and night. In 2009, the township government registered the Guanzhuangyuan brand watermelon trademark. Data show that watermelons have been planted in Guanzhuang Plain for more than 1,700 years. To this day, most villagers in several villages in this township still make a living by growing melons.

However, many citizens have recently discovered that the Luoning dry sweet potatoes sold on the streets this year are unusually small. In previous years, a watermelon could grow about 5 kilograms, but this year it only grows about 2.5 kilograms. In this regard, a reporter from Dahe News visited the melon-producing fields in Luoning County to explore the reasons.

Phenomena This year, Luoning dryland sweet melons are generally small in size

Zhou Lei, who lives in Xigong District, has a special liking for Luoning dryland watermelons. "The skin is thin, the flesh is sandy, the taste is sweet, and the sugar content is high." He told reporters that every summer, eating Luoning watermelon to cool down has become a habit. However, this year, Mr. Zhou found that the Luoning watermelons on the market were unusually small, and it was difficult to buy watermelons weighing more than 10 pounds.

Yesterday morning, the reporter visited watermelon stalls along the street and found that Luoning melon did have such a phenomenon.

At 10 o'clock, on Luopu West Road, a tractor loaded with watermelons was parked on the side of the road, with a "Luoning dry sweet potato" sign posted next to the vehicle. Melon farmer Zhao Quan said that due to the severe drought this year, the watermelon yield is very low, and the mature watermelons are not very big, with the big ones weighing just over 3 kilograms and the small ones weighing just over 1 kilogram.

Xing Haimin, a melon farmer in Wangling Village, Dongsong Township, Luoning County, said that he planted 9 acres of watermelons, but the harvest was not good, with almost no watermelons weighing more than 5 kilograms. "It's good if you can take care of your capital." Old man Liu, who sells melons at the Changchun intersection of Jinghua Road, pointed to the watermelon cart and said. A cart of melons weighs almost 1,000 kilograms, and only one weighs more than 5 kilograms. They can't be sold at a good price in the county. I had no choice but to bring them to Luoyang City to sell them.

Exploring how drought has reduced watermelon output

In mid-July last year, this newspaper reported on the post-2000 generation in Yuanzhuang Village, Luoning County, with the story of "A drought-stricken person selling melons in the city" The boy Hansheng went to the city with his father to sell melons. On July 7 this year, when the reporter visited again, all the local melon growers, including the melon growers, lamented, "Last year's watermelon harvest was pretty good, but this year's drought has resulted in smaller watermelons and reduced production."

The xerosperm family has planted 3 acres of watermelon and 2 acres of cantaloupe this year. His father, Yun Chunxiang, took reporters to the melon field and saw that the largest watermelon was no bigger than a toy ball and the smallest was only as big as a fist. The melon field was dry and cracked, and many melon vines had dried up.

“At this time in previous years, the melons and vines were growing vigorously in the fields, and people passing by would have to use their hands to push them away.” If it rains, most of the melons and vines will dry up, and you will definitely lose money.

Similarly, in Guanzhuang Village, the reporter learned that due to drought, the situation in this village is the same as that in Yuanzhuang Village. "Everyone grows watermelons, and with this year's severe drought, many melon farmers may not be able to afford it," said villager Wu Miaoqin.

The melon farmer encountered another drought 13 years later, and the watermelons were difficult to sell and the capital was not saved

Hansheng was born in July 2001. There was a severe drought that year, and there were not many watermelons in the family's 5 acres. "Growing up", seeing that his main financial support was broken, his father Yun Chunxiang was very anxious, so he named his child Hansheng. Unexpectedly, after 13 years, we will encounter a severe drought again this year.

Yun Chunxiang calculated an account for the reporter, "One acre of watermelon land requires an investment of about 700 yuan from purchasing manure, fertilizer, melon seeds, mulch, etc., plus the manpower consumed. When the watermelon matures, At that time, one acre of land could normally harvest about 6,000 kilograms of watermelons, which could be sold for more than 3,000 yuan.

"Yun Chunxiang sighed and shook his head and said, "There is a severe drought this year. One acre of land can produce up to 1,000 kilograms of watermelon, which can be sold for more than 400 yuan. We can't take care of the cost at all. ”

“This melon can’t be sold at a good price in the county. I plan to go to Luoyang City to try it in a few days and try my best to get more sales.” "Yun Chunxiang said that selling melons is a hard job. You have to drive a tractor from home at 4 o'clock in the morning and arrive in Luoyang after 4 hours. You will stay there for 2 to 3 days, wait for a cart of melons to be sold, and go home before loading. A load of melons is returned to Luoyang to be sold, which is very hard work.

Compared with individual farmers, there is a watermelon garden of about 100 acres in the north of Luoning County. The reporter saw that the watermelons here are obviously larger. The melons are larger and the vines are very lush. However, the owner said that the yield has been reduced due to the drought. However, they use drip irrigation to cope with the drought, and the quality of the watermelons is much better than relying on the weather.

Affected by drought, Yiyang’s watermelon production dropped by 30%

Yesterday afternoon, the reporter learned from the Luoyang Municipal Agriculture Bureau Horticulture Work Station that the city’s watermelon planting area was more than 60,000 acres, mainly concentrated in Luoning, Yiyang, Mengjin and other places. Among them, Luoning and Yiyang mainly grow dry sweet potatoes, with many individual farmers planting them and implementing a self-produced and self-sold model; Mengjin Shuangzhuang and other places grow pocket watermelons and use solar greenhouse cultivation. High-end consumption route.

There is a severe drought in Luoning this year and watermelon production has been reduced. What about Yiyang and Mengjin? The reporter called the Yiyang County Agriculture Bureau office and a staff member named Li said that the weather was dry in June this year. , the air humidity is low, which affects the growth of watermelons. Many melon seedlings are dried out. The surviving watermelons are generally smaller, and the yield is reduced by nearly 30% compared with the normal period.

Mengjin County. Wang Xueyun, a staff member of the Agricultural Bureau office, said that the yield of open sweet potatoes this year is better than last year, and the size is not small, weighing more than 10 kilograms. Some timely rains have helped the watermelons grow, so they are hardly affected by the weather.

Recommended "staggered peak" listing, large-scale planting or countermeasures

It is understood that for many years, local watermelons in Luoyang have been difficult to sell and prices have not risen even in bumper years. Last year This newspaper once cooperated with caring enterprises to purchase unsalable watermelons from Luoning and Yiyang to help melon farmers. In this regard, the reporter interviewed Fan Hexin, a senior engineer at the Horticulture Work Station of the Luoyang Municipal Agriculture Bureau.

Fan Hexin said that watermelon growth requires a certain amount of time. High temperature weather also requires a certain amount of moisture. Drought is conducive to the accumulation of sugar in watermelons, but excessive drought will lead to yield losses and reduced sugar content. “Currently, watermelon planting in some mountainous areas of Luoning and Yiyang is greatly restricted by weather factors. Irrigation problems are difficult to solve and directly affect watermelon production. "Fan Hexin further analyzed that Luoyang's local melons mature late and are relatively concentrated, mostly from the end of June to mid-July, and the market sales period is short, resulting in the market being occupied by foreign sweet potatoes. When the city's dry sweet potatoes come on the market, regardless of price, It still has no advantage in terms of market share.

Yesterday afternoon, the reporter visited a number of large supermarkets in the city and found that large watermelons from other places are still the "mainstream" and local watermelons have not yet been "settled". . The person in charge of the supermarket said frankly that the quality of sweet potatoes from other places is good and there is a stable supply chain. However, local melons are mostly grown by individual farmers and the cost is high. They cannot directly connect with supermarkets and cannot guarantee the continuity of supply.

Luoning County. Zhao Huantang, director of the Forest Fruit Series Development Office, said that 80% of melon farmers in Luoning County are retail farmers and have weak ability to resist market risks. Production and sales are unable to connect with the market, which affects the development of watermelon industrialization.

Fan Hexin said. , it is very necessary to implement differentiated planting, seize the market as early as possible, and extend the sales time. For example, use greenhouses, cultivate seedlings in advance, artificially create an environment, select long growth cycles, and stagger sales peaks.

Grasp market trends. "Planting" well is not as good as "growing" skillfully.

"We must also pay attention to group development and build brand watermelons. " Fan Hexin said that Mengjin's pocket watermelon and Luoning's Guanzhuang watermelon have formed their own brand effects, and the government should also take the lead in guiding farmers to grow green and benefit from the brands. In addition, in the sales process, government guidance should be used to Achieve direct connection between fruits and communities.

Regarding the impact of natural disasters and force majeure factors on watermelon output, he suggested that an agricultural insurance model that allows villagers to participate can be slowly explored. In the face of major natural disasters, farmers can recover some losses through insurance.