{"id":21154,"date":"2026-05-12T16:03:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/21154\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T16:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:03:09","slug":"japanese-yubari-king-melons-sell-for-us6500-at-auction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/21154\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Yubari King melons sell for US$6,500 at auction"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Melon prices vary depending on variety, seasonality, and production region. While yellow melons at Companhia de Entrepostos e Armaz\u00e9ns Gerais de S\u00e3o Paulo (Ceagesp) in Brazil were priced at R$4.12\/kg (US$0.72\/kg) on August 20, Yubari King melons in Japan reached much higher values at auction.<\/p>\n

In May this year, two Yubari King melons were auctioned in Japan for 1 million yen, equivalent to around R$36,000 (US$6,500) at the current exchange rate.<\/p>\n

The fruit is produced by the Yubari Melon Association in Hokkaido, northern Japan. The Yubari King is a hybrid developed by crossing the Earl’s Favorite and Burpee’s Spicy Cantaloupe varieties.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a9 Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries<\/p>\n

According to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the growing region contains volcanic ash soils with good drainage conditions. Mountains and hills in the area also contribute to greater temperature variation compared with other Japanese melon-growing regions.<\/p>\n

These conditions contribute to the rind texture and netting associated with the Yubari King melon.<\/p>\n

“Extracting the best quality depends not only on the geographical elements mentioned, but also on the producer’s knowledge, accumulated over many years. The Yubari King cultivation and research technique is used in cultivating the fields and in the delicate control of soil temperature and humidity, essential for forming the melon’s ‘network’ and increasing its size,” the Japanese agency stated.<\/p>\n

To standardise production and maintain pricing levels, the Yubari Melon Association, which includes more than 140 growers, introduced greenhouse cultivation and hybridisation of bee populations.<\/p>\n

The association organises annual auctions to mark the start of the harvest season. In 2025, the auction took place on May 26 at the Central Wholesale Market in Sapporo, Hokkaido’s largest city.<\/p>\n

The highest auction price in recent years was recorded in 2019, when two Yubari King melons sold for 5 million yen, equivalent to around R$180,000 (US$32,500) at current exchange rates.<\/p>\n

Source: Globo Rural \/ Abrafrutas<\/a><\/p>\n

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