Watermelons mean wealth for villagers in desert

Liu Zhancun sold a 15 kilogram watermelon for 2,000 yuan ($279) at a fruit auction this summer, 100 times the usual price, making it an online celebrity.

His father, Liu Wengang, who has been farming melons for over 30 years in northwestern China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, wears a big smile when he reflects on the sweet life brought by his melons.

The Gobi Desert surrounding the Liu's hometown of Zhongwei has long been used to grow watermelons, but the yield used to be poor.

"It seldom rained, and for generations the place remained poor," Liu Wengang said.

The arid climate has now become a blessing. In the 1980s, the local government encouraged residents to lay gravel on top of the sandy surface.

"No one expected any positive change, but hope grew unexpectedly from the stones," Liu Wengang said.

The technique drew inspiration from mice. The creatures often put small stones around their burrows to keep them from collapsing, and farmers later found that crops next to the stones always grew better than others.

"Covering sandy earth with gravel can reduce water evaporation and sandstorms, and protect plants from diseases, insects and pests," said Zhang Shouge from the city's agriculture department. "It is a traditional but scientific method that farmers discovered in the ongoing battle with drought."

Now watermelons from the Gobi Desert, which benefit from the large discrepancy between day and night temperatures and rich amino acids and other nutrients, have become famous. The fruit was showcased at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and the Shanghai World Expo in 2009.

Ninety percent of the 66,700 hectares of gravel land in Zhongwei is now used to grow watermelons, generating output valued at 2.5 billion yuan ($348 million) last year and benefiting 280,000 villagers from 141 villages.

"Growing watermelons has become our pillar industry and the per capita annual income has reached 10,000 yuan in the main production zone," said Zhang, adding that the local government has worked to standardize planting and expand sales by promotions and setting up outlets.

Liu Zhancun, 26, took a further step this year-planting square watermelons. "The price of a square watermelon is 10 times that of a regular one," he said.