Gaoya Melons (Sweet and Melon)

Gaoya Melons (Sweet and Melon)

　　Gaoyacun Village, Gaoyaxiang Township, Haiyuan County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is located in the deep mountainous area at the northern border between Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. The village has a population of 1,588 people, with an average of 5.6 mu of arable land per person and an average annual precipitation of 300 mm. The area enjoys a humid climate, dense forests, abundant wildlife, and beautiful surroundings. The cultivation of melons in Gaoyacun has a history of nearly a hundred years. Local farmers, in accordance with the "Regional Layout Plan for Advantageous Agricultural Products" and the "Regional Plan for Characteristic Agricultural Products," have adjusted the industrial structure by leveraging local resource advantages and established sweet and melon as the dominant industry of the township.

　　Since 1998, Gaoyacun has introduced greenhouse melon cultivation technology, and in 2003, with the support of the Dryland Farming Demonstration Project, the area under greenhouse cultivation expanded year by year. Starting from 2010, the Party Committee and government of the autonomous region decided to build a high-efficiency dryland water-saving agricultural demonstration base at the county level centered on Gaoyacun. This initiative led to the establishment of 12,000 mu of new facilities for growing melons on gravel-mulched land.

　　In 2010, there were over 12,600 small greenhouses in Gaoyacun, all dedicated to growing sweet and melon. A total of 8,056 mu were planted with melons, yielding an annual production of 12 million kg. This generated sales revenue of 29 million yuan, with a net income of nearly 4,000 yuan per mu and about 14,000 yuan per capita. Currently, the output value of the sweet and melon industry in Gaoyacun accounts for 81% of the village’s total economy and over 60% of the entire township's economic output. The per capita net income of melon growers exceeds 5,000 yuan, which is more than 20% higher than the average level of the township.

　　In 2011, Gaoyacun Village (for sweet and melon) in Gaoyaxiang Township, Haiyuan County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture as a “National 'One Village, One Product'” demonstration village.

　　Melons are beloved for their rich nutrients, thirst-quenching properties, and sweet taste. In Ningxia, almost no one is unfamiliar with the fine reputation of Gaoya melons. Growing at the foot of Miaoshan Mountain and nourished by the waters of the Shixiakou Reservoir, Gaoya melons benefit from their unique geographical advantages, which contribute to their sweet and mellow flavor. A century ago, merchants traveling along the Silk Road, coming from north and south, would never miss the chance to feast on Gaoya melons when passing through Gaoya, using them to refresh themselves after long journeys. Through word of mouth, Gaoya melons have enjoyed enduring fame and widespread renown along the ancient trade routes. Today, this local specialty has been developed by Gaoyaxiang into a distinctive and competitive industry. Its scale, variety, quality, and output value are now beyond comparison to those of the past.

　　Gaoyaxiang is one of the townships in Haiyuan County that developed facility agriculture earliest. Since 2007, relying on the water resources of the Yellow River Diversion Irrigation District and years of experience in cultivating melons on gravel-mulched land, the township has built two bases—old and new parks—centered on Gaoyacun to promote the development of facility agriculture. Following unified planning and high-standard construction requirements, the township has focused on building demonstrations, strengthening bases, facilitating circulation, and increasing benefits. A total of 1,800 mu of various types of facility greenhouses have been constructed, all dedicated to melon cultivation. The project area has established a representative "One Village, One Product" demonstration village and has become a model for facility agriculture development across the county. The facility-grown melons in the base go on sale in late May, about 30 days earlier than those grown in open fields.

　　To achieve the goals of improving quality and increasing efficiency in the selenium-rich gravel melon industry, in 2009, Gaoyaxiang built a new variety and technology demonstration park for sweet and melon. This park conducted trials on variety introduction, cultivation models, and fertilizer and water management. A total of 31 varieties of sweet and melon were introduced from over ten specialized breeding institutions nationwide, including 22 melon varieties and 9 watermelon varieties. Variety comparisons and demonstration displays were carried out to provide replacement varieties for the renewal of sweet and melon cultivars. Additionally, new planting technologies such as drip irrigation under mulch and trellis pruning were promoted as demonstrations, laying a technical foundation and providing leadership for the sustainable and healthy development of facility agriculture in the county.

　　In 2014, the township cultivated 9,300 mu of sweet and melon, of which 4,800 mu were melons. To better promote marketing and break away from the traditional sales model of “good wine needs no bush,” Gaoyaxiang actively guided farmers to establish agricultural product cooperatives, build the Gaoya melon brand, and obtain green and pollution-free food certifications, among other measures, to strengthen promotion efforts. Currently, the facility-grown melons from the base have matured and gone on the market. It is estimated that the yield per mu of facility-grown melons can reach 3,000 jin, while that of field-grown melons with plastic mulching can yield 2,000 jin per mu.

　　(Quotes from Tongxin merchants)

　　In the past, Gaoya melons were merely a delicacy on the dining tables of people in Ningxia; today, they have made their way beyond the mountains and into the markets of more than ten surrounding provinces and cities, becoming a refreshing treat for many during the peak of summer.