Osmanthus White Melon

Osmanthus White Melon

　　“Osmanthus White Melon” is abundantly produced along National Highway 318 in Zhijiang City. It is of premium variety, with pure color and a long-lasting sweet taste. In 2001, our city’s “Osmanthus White Melon” not only had a bountiful harvest but was also in high demand, favored by merchants from all over. (Zhijiang)

　　In the early 1990s, Wu Xiangpeng from Group 4, Guihua Village, Dongshi Town began transplanting early-market white melons in the hard-to-irrigate upland areas, achieving considerable benefits and making a significant impact locally. Local farmers followed suit, and soon white melon cultivation gained momentum, spreading across the entire town. By 1997, the planting area reached 2,000 mu, and our town was designated by Yichang City as a demonstration base for the “early dry, late water” planting model on hilly upland areas.

　　To meet the needs of melon farmers and continuously accelerate agricultural restructuring, our town timely established the “Osmanthus White Melon” Association, with the “Melon King” Wu Xiangpeng serving as the association president, networking over 1,500 farming households. The association primarily provides farmers with comprehensive services including pre-production consultation, in-production guidance, and post-production sales. For pre-production consultation, methods such as farmers visiting for advice and association members conducting outreach were used to teach white melon cultivation techniques and promote the quality of “Osmanthus White Melon.” For in-production guidance, each association member was responsible for one to two villages, regularly providing “free home visits” for guidance, conducting white melon planting trials and demonstrations. At the same time, relying on the town’s Agricultural Service Center-published “Dongshi Science and Technology,” it effectively resolved technical challenges faced by farmers. The average yield of Osmanthus White Melon reached about 4,000 jin per mu. For post-production sales, the association worked with the town government to actively cultivate melon sales brokers, who were responsible for marketing planning, outlet development, and market expansion services, ensuring that “Osmanthus White Melon” was sold at a premium price. The average selling price reached 0.8 yuan, with an average income of about 3,200 yuan per mu—over 2,000 yuan more than planting early rice—thereby boosting farmers’ enthusiasm.

　　With the rapid development of Osmanthus White Melon, the association continuously improved quality and significantly elevated the product’s grade. In June 1999, “Osmanthus White Melon” applied for trademark registration with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. Product quality, tested by the Food Quality Supervision and Testing Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, met the “domestically advanced level.” In 1999, the product was exhibited at the China International Agricultural Fair, and in July 1999, the Hubei Provincial Bureau of Technical Supervision issued the product an “Hubei Province Quality Execution Standard Certificate.”

　　Currently, the association has networked over 5,000 farming households and more than 200 rural brokers, with a planting area reaching 12,000 mu.