Weifang watermelons make nationwide splash

Even though it's still spring, the sweet fragrance of watermelons is already in the air. Recently, the premium watermelons grown by a local agricultural technology company, located in Weifang, Shandong province, hit the market in Lanzhou New Area, Gansu province.

The National Modern Agricultural Industrial Park in Gudi subdistrict, Hanting district, Weifang of Shandong province. [Photo by Kang Hongyun for chinadaily.com.cn]

"In 2018, this company built 13 standardized planting greenhouses in the National Modern Agricultural Industrial Park in Gudi subdistrict, with each greenhouse producing up to 3,000 kilograms of watermelons," said Mu Haitao, general manager of the Hai Tao Agricultural Cooperative.

In 2023, the company invested 286 million yuan ($39 million) in the construction of a 1,600-mu (106.67-hectare) standardized watermelon planting base in Lanzhou New Area, Gansu province. The first batch of watermelons has now hit the market, with an expected output value of 60 million yuan, Mu added.

The construction of industrial parks is an effective way to promote rural vitalization and accelerate the development of modern agriculture. In terms of the planning, construction, operation, and brand building of standardized watermelon parks, Gudi subdistrict is already at the forefront of the country.

Weifang Guopai Agricultural Technology Co Ltd is the first agricultural technology company in Gudi subdistrict to promote the development of industrial parks to grow watermelons nationwide. In 2020, the company invested 248 million yuan to build a 2,233-mu standardized watermelon planting park in Xinhe county, Aksu prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

It has promoted the advanced watermelon planting technology and construction model of Gudi subdistrict in Xinjiang and built 25,000 mu of standardized demonstration parks in multiple locations in the region, helping create more than 8,000 jobs, promoting the development of local modern agriculture, and boosting industries and the vitalization of rural areas.

Leading enterprises in Gudi subdistrict have built 12 standardized watermelon planting parks covering 32,000 mu in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu province, and other areas across the country. (Edited by Yang Yingxue)

Farmers bask in the abundance of their harvest within the lush watermelon greenhouse.[Photo by Kang Hongyun for chinadaily.com.cn]