Two melons for 25 thousand dollars in Japan
Yubari melon with orange pulp is famous for its high quality and sweet taste.
Reuters
The two most sought-after melon yubari were sold for 2.7 million yen (about $ 25,000) at a traditional auction, marking the start of the season on the northernmost island of Hokkaido in Japan.
Auction organizers said this was more than 22 times the price last year.
Melon yubari with orange flesh is famous for its high quality and sweet taste, and the same size as cantaloupe.
Last year, two melons were sold for 120,000 yen, which is a fraction of what is usually achieved at the start of the season.
The Coronavirus crisis was the reason for this price.
The year before, for example, two melon fruits hit a record five million yen at a wholesale market auction.
The fruits are grown under extremely difficult conditions in Hokkaido's harsh winters and are the pride of the region.
Harvesting begins in May and lasts until August.
In regular stores a single melon is worth a few thousand yen, which is still a lot of money.
And 466 expensive melons were traded at this year's auction.
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