About 20 farmers around Danyang city in Jiangsu province were affected, losing up to 115 acres (45 hectares) of melon, the Associated Press reported Wednesday, based on an investigative report of China Central Television (CCTV).
Prices over the past year prompted many farmers to jump into the watermelon market. All of those with exploding melons apparently were first-time users of the growth accelerator forchlorfenuron, though it has been widely available for some time, said the report broadcast Monday night.
Chinese regulations don't forbid the drug, and it is allowed in the U.S. on kiwi fruit and grapes, according to AP.
But the report underscores how farmers in China are abusing both legal and illegal chemicals, with many farms misusing pesticides and fertilizers, AP said.
Wang Liangju, a professor with College of Horticulture at Nanjing Agricultural University who has been to Danyang since the problems began to occur, said that forchlorfenuron is safe and effective when used properly.
He told AP that the drug had been used too late into the season, and that recent heavy rain also raised the risk of the fruit cracking open. But he said the variety of melon also played a role.
Wang said: “If it had been used on very young fruit, it wouldn't be a problem,'' according to AP. “Another reason is that the melon they were planting is a thin-rind variety and these kind are actually nicknamed the 'exploding melon' because they tend to split.''
The broadcaster described the watermelons as ``land mines'' and said they were exploding by the acre (hectare) in the Danyang area, AP said.
중국에서 수박 폭발 소동 벌어져
중국 남동부 장쑤성에서 재배되던 수박이 농부들이 우기에 성장촉진제를 과도하게 사용한 후 폭발하는 사태가 일어났다고 외신 보도가 18일 전했다. 중국의 관영언론은 이 수박 밭을 “지뢰 밭”이라고 명명했다고 AP 통신이 18일 보도했다.
수박 폭발사건으로 약 45헥타르의 밭에서 수박을 재배하던 20여 농민이 수박피해를 입었다고 AP가 중국의 CCTV가 보도를 인용 전했다.
지난해 높은 수박 가격은 많은 농민들을 수박 시장에 뛰어들게 했다. 폭발을 한 수박 재배 농민들은 성장촉진제 포르클로르페누론을 광범위하게 구입할 수 있었음에도 불구하고 올해 처음으로 이를 살포한 것이라고 CCTV가 16일 밤 보도했다.
AP에 따르면 중국규정은 이 성장촉진제 사용을 금지하고 있지 않으며 미국에서는 키위와 포도 재배에 사용이 허용되고 있다.
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