Sunday, May 22, 2011

Chinese Farmers Perplex By Watermelon Explosion

By ONE Liners Agency
May 21, 2011

Watermelon explosion phenomenon in China
CHINA NEWS – Watermelon explosion seems a new agricultural disaster in China where farmers in eastern China region have been baffled by series of watermelon explosions.

In Jiangsu province, farmers are loosing acres of fruit because of sudden explosion of watermelons. Housewives are particularly apprehensive about this phenomenon, fearing that watermelons are not safe to eat. Earlier state media reported melons were administered with a plant growth chemical forchlorfenuron.

But the explosion phenomenon is also reported in chemical-free melons and agricultural experts puzzled and still to find any explanation for that.

It is a common practice in China where farmers spray growth stimulant chemicals for a better promotion. In summers watermelons are ubiquitous in the markets when people prefer watermelons to assuage heat. But this year the harmless fruit has actually given rise to food safety scandal.

Watermelons are ubiquitous in the Beijing summer, when most households keep a chilled melon in the fridge to alleviate the summer heat. But this year the innocuous fruit has given rise to its very own food safety scandal.

Earlier this year, China saw several food safety scandals such tainted port, “recycled” cooking oil, rice laced with heavy metals. Food is a thing to be considered in China after the melamine scandal that poisoned thousands of children with toxic infant formula. Even in urban areas, upper-middle class people grow their own small vegetable plot outside the city to ensure quality.

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