Ripe Nanhui melons for sale early this season

People can enjoy sweet Nanhui melons early this year.

Thanks to the warm winter, melons from the Nanhui area of the Pudong New Area have ripened early.

This year, farmers in Nanhui planted more than 25,000 tons of melons. The ripe melons went on sale Friday, seven days earlier than usual.

Nanhui started to plant melons in the late 1980s by introducing the popular Japanese muskmelon. It became known as “Elizabeth” after the UK's Queen Elizabeth praised the variety during a visit to Japan. It has since become a popular crop in Nanhui.

The melons are available through the official WeChat account of the Pudong Agriculture Commission and other online retailing platforms including Freshippo. One box of two melons, each weighing more than 1.25kg, is priced at 70 yuan (US$10).