Premium Hokkaido melons fetch sharply higher price in 1st auction

Kyodo -- May 24

A pair of premium melons in Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido fetched a price of 2.7 million yen ($24,800) in this year's first auction on Monday, about 23 times higher than the winning bid of last year.

The highest ever bid for Yubari melons, a signature product of the city of Yubari, was 5 million yen in 2019. The price in last year's first auction of the fruit grown in the city was a much lower 120,000 yen reflecting subdued economic activity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

May 24 () - 北海道夕張市の特産品として知られる「夕張メロン」の初競りが24日朝、札幌市の中央卸売市場であり、2玉270万円で幼児向け食品販売会社「北海道プロダクツ」(札幌市)が落札した。