Shipment of watermelon, which is actively produced in central Tottori Prefecture, began in earnest, and a departure ceremony was held in Kurayoshi City on the 7th.

Central Tottori Prefecture is one of the leading watermelon producing areas in western Japan, and in Kurayoshi City, which is the second largest producing area after Hokuei Town, 123 farmers are cultivating 94 hectares.



On the 7th, a departure ceremony was held at the fruit sorting plant in Kurayoshi City to celebrate the start of full-scale shipment, and about 50 people including JA, city officials, and producers attended.



At the ceremony, two trucks carrying watermelons departed after the attendees tasted and confirmed the results.

According to JA, this is because the sunny days continued and the daylight hours were long last month, so the temperature difference from the night is large and the sugar content is particularly high even in recent years.



Last year, due to the heavy rain in early July, the shipment volume dropped to more than 4000 tons, which is nearly 1000 tons less than the initial target, but this is about 5100 tons shipped mainly in the Keihanshin and Chugoku regions. The aim is to sell more than 1.1 billion yen.



Takeshi Kishimoto, Chairman of the Kurayoshi West Gourd Production Subcommittee, said, "This is a wonderful result due to the weather. I want consumers to eat delicious watermelon with peace of mind."