Mawan Watermelon

Mawan Watermelon

Mawan watermelon is a Geographical Indication (GI) agricultural product.

　　Mawan watermelons are well-shaped and symmetrical, with small and few seeds, typically weighing around 7 pounds. Their rind comes in green, dark green, or mottled patterns, while the flesh is crisp and sweet, available in red or yellow hues, and matures in 90 days. Early cultivation using plastic mulching advances their market availability, making them very popular among customers. The Longju Town’s “Mawan” brand Yellow River Estuary watermelon is a green and pollution-free agricultural product of Shandong Province, and was rated as a National Famous Brand Product at the 2001 Beijing International Agricultural Products Expo.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Dongying District is the central urban area of Dongying City, located in the hinterland of the Yellow River Delta. The Mawan watermelon production area is situated in the southwestern part of Dongying District, Dongying City, Shandong Province, covering Longju Town, Shikou Town, and Niuzhuang Town. The geographic boundaries extend east to the Xinhe Highway, west to the Yellow River embankment, south to the Zhima River, and north to Dayuzhang Village in Longju Town. The geographical coordinates are between 118°15′ to 118°28′ east longitude and 37°16′ to 37°27′ north latitude. The total area spans 227.1 square kilometers, encompassing all of Longju Town and parts of Shikou Town and Niuzhuang Town, including 36 administrative villages. The protected cultivation area covers 6,667 hectares, with an annual production of 100,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Mawan watermelons must be well-shaped and symmetrical, with glossy and attractive rind patterns. They have a high degree of maturity and are medium-sized, averaging 3.5 kilograms per fruit. The rind is thin, and the edible portion is high. The flesh is crisp, tender, uniformly bright red, honey-sweet, juicy, and flavorful, containing abundant mineral salts and various vitamins. The cross-section has no colored fibers or blotches. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Rind thickness ≤ 0.9 cm; edible rate ≥ 70%; soluble solids content in the fruit center ≥ 11%, and ≥ 9% in the outer edible part. 3. Safety Requirements: ShanYang large pears follow the NY/844-2004 standard. The growing environment for Mawan watermelons complies with the “NY5110-2002 Pollution-Free Food Watermelon Growing Environment Conditions” standard, and the product quality meets the “NY/T5109-2005 Pollution-Free Food Melons” requirements.