Hampyeong-gun to Begin Full-Scale Shipment of New Income Crop 'Apple Watermelon' Early Next Month

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Apple watermelons, which Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Lee Sang-ik) is fostering as a new income crop, are expected to be shipped in earnest from early next month.

According to Hampyeong-gun on the 21st, Hampyeong-grown apple watermelons, which were first shipped last year through pilot cultivation, will be harvested simultaneously this year from 1.7 hectares across 7 farms.

Apple watermelons (900g~1.5kg), which are one-quarter the size of regular watermelons, are usually cultivated by extending vines like tunnels inside a facility greenhouse, allowing the fruit to hang in the air.

Although small enough to harvest 3 to 4 fruits per vine, they boast thin rinds and high sweetness, recently gaining great popularity as a well-being convenience food.

In particular, they perfectly match the rapidly increasing consumption trend of single-person households, playing a significant role in increasing farmers' income.

In fact, the income per apple watermelon greenhouse (661㎡) is known to be higher than that of regular watermelons, at around 5 to 6 million KRW.

Mr. Lee Jeong-ho, who cultivated apple watermelons for the first time this year in Hampyeong, said, “Until last year, I mainly cultivated sweet pumpkins, but in terms of productivity and income, apple watermelons definitely seem better. I plan to continue cultivating them steadily for the next few years.”

A county official said, “We plan to provide generous support so that apple watermelons can establish themselves as a new income crop in the region,” adding, “We will do our best to expand cultivation areas and secure sales channels.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.