High-yielding fuzzy melons boosts income for Nansha farmers

Fuzzy melon. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_nanshafabu]

In Xiqiao village, located in Nansha district's Dongyong township in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, greenhouses growing fuzzy melon, a type of edible wax gourd native to China, are thriving, with the first batch of fruits hitting the market in mid-February.

To bolster the fuzzy melon industry in Xiqiao village and boost local residents' incomes, a collaborative effort led by the Xiqiao Cooperative Economic Union, Qiaofeng Vegetable Professional Cooperative in Nansha district, and Guangzhou Academy of Agriculture and Rural Sciences has established a Winter Melon Facility Production Technology Demonstration Greenhouse.

The fuzzy melons cultivated in Xiqiao village are known for their crispy sweetness, high and continuous yield, rapid growth, and early market entry, which leads to strong profits. The village is currently planting over 30 mu (2 hectares) of the fruit, with an expected yield of 3,000 kilograms per mu. The fruit will remain on the market until May.

The fuzzy melons grown in the greenhouse generate profits of up to approximately 18,000 yuan ($2,450) per mu, nearly doubling the returns compared to conventional field planting methods, said Liang Runchao, head of the Qiaofeng Vegetable Professional Cooperative in Nansha district.

At the end of last year, Xiqiao village purchased 40,000 grafted seedlings and distributed them to farmers for free. The collaborative efforts and innovative approaches adopted in Xiqiao village are fostering the growth of sustainable agricultural and common prosperity.