Yangbei Watermelon

Yangbei Watermelon

Yangbei Watermelon is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Located on the banks of the canal, Yangbei Town in Suqian is a well-known "hometown of watermelons." Over the years, it has gradually developed into one of Jiangsu Province's largest watermelon production bases. The area features sandy-loamy soil, significant day-night temperature variations, and advanced production techniques. Varieties such as "Black Beauty," "8424," and "Jinxing" grown here are beloved across the country, yielding economic benefits more than double that of conventional melons and over three times that of ordinary crops. In recent years, Yangbei watermelon production has seen substantial growth, with planting scale expanding year by year. It has formed a new pattern of scaled development, with the planting area reaching 12,000 mu, making it a true "watermelon kingdom."

　　Yangbei watermelons are mainly produced in ten villages (communities) under the jurisdiction of Yangbei Town, including Chuanxing, Zhangzhuang, Qili, Caihe, HuaiShu, You'ai, Laozhuang, Luozhuang, Jianan, and Xiakou. The total area spans 2,200 hectares, utilizing a crop rotation model of rice–wheat, rice–wheat, and rice–watermelon.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Yangbei Watermelon is a typical representative of early-spring watermelons in Suqian. It is grown in ten villages (communities) of Yangbei Town — Chuanxing, Zhangzhuang, Qili, Caihe, HuaiShu, You'ai, Laozhuang, Luozhuang, Jianan, and Xiakou — situated between 118°19′11″ to 118°25′39″ east longitude and 33°48′54″ to 33°52′26″ north latitude, covering a total area of about 2,200 hectares with an output of 40,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Sensory Features: Yangbei watermelons have a round and medium-sized shape with clear rind patterns. The flesh is uniformly colored, bright red, with thin skin, few and black seeds. The pulp is sweet, refreshing, with minimal difference between the center and edge sugar levels, low fiber content, fine texture, excellent flavor, and high moisture content. 2. Internal Quality: The total sugar content of Yangbei watermelons exceeds 10%, and moisture content exceeds 85%. 3. Safety Requirements: The quality and safety of Yangbei watermelons comply with the requirements outlined in the “Notice of the Office of the Ministry of Agriculture on Issuing the Detection Catalogue for 58 Types of Pollution-Free Agricultural Products Including Solanaceous Fruits and Vegetables” (Nongban Zhi [2015] No. 4).