“We are a melon grower and seed supplier on the island of Hainan in the South of China. The main seed varieties we sell are the Athena cantaloupe and the Hami melon, which is our most popular variety. We breed the melon in Xinjiang, in the remote Northwest of China. The seeds we sell to Hainan only,” says John of Xinjiang Baofeng Seed Service.
“Farming on Hainan is very dispersed. There are more than 700 farmers growing melons on a combined total of 5,300 hectares. The government is trying to increase the scale of farms to make them more efficient. Now, some farms are as small as 10 mu (equal to 0.6 hectares). The biggest farms have a surface of 2,000 mu (130 hectares). We work with associations that support farmers. They help us spread crop information."
Online communication to support growers
“We sell through Wechat. On Wechat we have a number of organised chat groups, on which growers can ask questions and place orders. In addition, we run call lists and online message boards to reach older growers that do not use smart phones. On the online message boards, growers in our community can write messages and ask questions. People can also contact members directly by phone. The chat groups are a very helpful source, as growers can also communicate with each other and share information.”“The winter months are our high season. Growers can harvest three crop cycles each season. The third planting cycle has just been completed. The melons are sold in big cities all over China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. Hainan is the only place in China that produces melons during the winter months. Each year, melon production on the island is increasing. Prices have also gone up. The current price for Athena melon hovers around 8 Yuan per kilogram (around 1.10 Euro). Prices of Hami melons are higher at 12 Yuan per kilogram (around 1.60 Euro).
For more information:
John Zhong
Xinjiang Baofeng Seed Service
Email: 292323616@qq.com
phone: +86 1888 9115 000