Watermelon show gets new look

Four new organic watermelons are the main attractions at this year's Local Organic Watermelon Festival held by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department from Thursday to Monday.

The four - Huang Yu, seedless 3F-2728, Super Sweet Black Angel 168 and Diana - grow well in Hong Kong's summer climate and provide high yields.

They are suitable for small and medium families as their sizes are smaller.

The festival, held on the first floor of Maritime Square 1 in Tsing Yi, is part of the Happy Hong Kong Agricultural Festival from this month until April.

It will have performances, game booths and talks about an organic lifestyle.

"These watermelons - grown in the AFCD Tai Lung Experimental Farm - will be sold at the festival, farmer markets and through the Local Fresh app. You can also call Local Fresh to buy our watermelons," said agricultural officer (horticulture) Mon Wong Mun-Wai.

Huang Yu has green skin and yellow flesh. Super Sweet Black Angel 168 is easy to grow and Diana has yellow skin and bright red flesh.

The species were imported from the mainland, Taiwan and Australia.

"We test-grow both local and foreign breeds. Our main criterion is ease of growth," Wong said.

Watermelons could easily burst from having too much water, so Wong said the AFCD avoided recommending breeds from drier regions such as Xinjiang.

Of the four, Super Sweet Black Angel 168 is the sweetest, followed by Diana.

But in a tasting session attended by The Standard, Diana tasted the sweetest while Huang Yu quenched thirst the most.

All the watermelons, except for Super Sweet Black Angel 168, were similarly crispy and crunchy, while the Angel felt more fleshy.

"Our local organic watermelons taste different from other watermelons -ours are more fragrant and fresh," said New Life Farm manager Lo Kim-ho.

"How much a watermelon costs depends on size and the method of growth. Some farms use more costly growing methods."

Lo estimated the price of a two-pound watermelon to be about HK$200.

"Local organic watermelons sell for around two times the price of average watermelons as our farming process is highly regulated by parties like the AFCD and organic certification organizations," Lo said.

"But these organic watermelons are really popular. We always sell out."

The New Life Farm sells through shops in Tai Wai and Tuen Mun.

It will also be taking part in the first two days of the festival. "We recommend all farmers grow watermelons because it is hard to grow anything during summer. Also watermelons have a higher selling price and could yield greater profits," Lo said.

When asked about the quality, New Life Farm tutor Chan Tim Shing said: "If other fruits like lychees and longans have a great harvest that year, then it would be easy to grow all fruits."