Mini Watermelon Craze

[Anchor Lead]

With a surge in the number of single-person or smaller households, it’s not as common anymore to see a family devouring a large watermelon all together. Various mini-sized watermelons, as small as a mango or apple, are becoming more and more popular.

[Pkg]

With the weather untimely hot, preparations to ship watermelons are in full swing at farms. However, these watermelons are different from everyday watermelons. Having a black rind and yellow flesh, they are so-called black mango watermelons.

[Soundbite] Choi Il-mo(Black Mango Watermelon Farmer) : "I thought that this is far better for people living alone to eat than ordinary watermelons."

They were developed, as more people look for smaller watermelons, instead of the regular large ones that must be consumed by multiple people for days.

[Soundbite] Im Jang-seop(Head of Black Mango Watermelon Developer) : "We developed the variety both with merchantability and convenience, as consumers avoid watermelons and favor imported agricultural products."

Distributors are quick to meet the changing demand. As well as smaller melons, other varieties are on the market, such as seedless black watermelons. It is estimated that these specialized varieties account for nearly 20 percent of total watermelon sales.

[Soundbite] Jin Deok-ho(Supermarket Employee) : "In line with the recent trend, lots of smaller and sweeter premium watermelons are being marketed."

Watermelons, an iconic summer fruit, are transforming in order to meet the changing needs of consumers.