In the bayuegua (literally meaning August melon) planting base of Tiemazhou Village, Hongshilin Town, Guzhang County, plump melons are hanging down from lush vines and villagers were busy picking and bagging them recently.
“I have planted nearly five mu (about 0.33 hectares) of bayuegua, with a total yield of about 7,500 kilograms and an income of about 40,000 to 50,000 yuan,” said a large grower in Tiemazhou Village.
In order to enhance the added value of the industry and improve the market competitiveness of bayuegua, Tiemazhou Village has established a cooperative to process these melons and launched bayuegua tea, a rich and fragrant fruit tea made after a series of processes such as cutting, drying, seed removing, and baking.
Tiemazhou Village has a history of nearly ten years in planting bayuegua. Initially, villagers planted wild melons themselves. Later, through grafting and other techniques, the melons with uneven quality and varying sizes in the village have greatly improved their quality. Large melons are mainly sold in the fruit market, and small melons are used to make traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and fruit tea.
Tiemazhou Village has about 200 mu (about 13.33 hectares) of bayuegua, with a yield of up to 2,500 kilograms per mu (about 0.067 hectares), and large fruits account for three fifths. Fresh melons are mainly sold in agricultural markets in a centralized way. Bayuegua tea is made and sold based on orders.
Tiemazhou Village has developed the edible and medicinal value of bayuegua to increase villagers’ income. In the future, it will continue efforts to promote the development of the bayuegua industry.
Chinese source: hunantoday
