A village in the southern province of Binh Dinh hopes to attract visitors to enjoy their large-size winter melons.

Chanh Trach Village in Phu My District has become famous for growing winter melons weighing up to between 40-70 kilos.

Local resident Van Thi Lich, 70, said that they have been growing this kind of melon for many generations.

"We don't have any special secrets in planting this big melon but mostly thanks to our rich soil," she said. "However, we usually have bigger ones when we use peanut meal as fertilizer in our farming."

Another villager, Nguyen Dinh Giao said that he usually harvested over two tonnes of winter melons each crop.

"We start sowing seeds in winter," he said. "Then we build pergolas which should be very firm to keep the giant melons. Most of the pergolas here have recently been built with concrete pillars."

According to the farmers, they only keep a few melons on each shrub and make a strong net to keep the melon as it grows bigger. The melons can be harvested from May to June.

"The melons can be cooked or turned into preserved fruit or dried to use as a kind of tea," Giao said. "The fruit has a sweet-smell flavour and is a good detox drink."

Dr. Ho Huy Cuong, director of the Agricultural Science Institute for Southern Coastal Central Vietnam said that the winter melon grown in Chanh Trach Village was a valuable variety that was carefully selected and kept in the area for many years.

"This variety has well adapted to the local fertile land and climate and does not produce as good-quality fruits if brought to grow in other areas," he said.

Binh Dinh Provincial Tourism Department is building a plan to develop tourism at the Chanh Trach Village with the giant melons as one of the key products.

A visitor to the village

The department said that visitors to the village can learn about the work of local farmers and enjoy various products made from the melons.

Source: Dtinews

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