All over Im Chhean’s fruitful half-hectare farm there are big green-striped oblong melons scattered everywhere that look just like the regular watermelons grown all over Cambodia by their outward appearances.
Cut one open, however, and you’re in for a surprise: The melon’s flesh is yellow, not pink. And not only that, the taste and texture of the yellow watermelons are also noticeably different according to those who’ve had the courage to take a bite.
“The yellow watermelon has a juicier and crisper texture that is usually sweeter than the pink variety,” Chhean says.
Chhean is a successful farmer who has been growing a variety of fruits and vegetables on his land for some time now, but yellow watermelons are a relative newcomer to his rotation of crops.
Chhean says he began growing them last year when he was introduced to them by a development NGO from the Netherlands called SNV, whose CHAIN programme works in partnership with the Valong Pany company selling yellow watermelon seeds to farmers in his community.
SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation established in the Netherlands. It makes a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty by helping them raise their incomes and gain access to basic services.
Their work in Cambodia over the past 10 years has been focused on four sectors – agriculture, energy, water and sanitation/hygiene.
Chhean tells The Post that “I received a lot of training [from SNV] including planting, packaging, harvesting and business skills, so last year I was given the chance to try growing yellow watermelons from Taiwan.”
He learned all of the technical and production processes with support from the provincial department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries and SNV’s CHAIN (Cambodia Horticulture Advancing Income and Nutrition) Programme.
The CHAIN programme’s intended duration is eight years, but it is divided into 3 phases. The programme began in December, 2014, and will end in December 2022.
In the past year, Chhean has already harvested twice and reaped nearly 10 tonnes of yellow watermelons at a time from his half-hectare of land. He is earning extra income from the project by supplying yellow watermelons to several companies in Phnom Penh.
Chhean says “I am growing the yellow watermelons year round. I am so glad to see how resilient they are – fruits still grow despite some insect issues, and I hope to improve the process over time.”
Lim Sokundarun, the business and marketing development advisor and deputy project manager for SNV’s CHAIN programme, tells The Post of the improved techniques that Chhean and the rest of the farmers have embraced with his NGO’s help.
“Chhean is a fast learner and has adapted well. He has gotten up to speed with plastic mulching and drip system techniques to ensure that his yellow watermelons will be nice and big. He has signed contract agreements with several companies to supply yellow watermelons to them already and now he is known for this unusual fruit across Oddar Meanchey province,” he says.
Yellow watermelons are a new variety to Cambodia and Oddar Meanchey is one of the four provinces along with Preah Vihear, Steung Treng and Kratie where farmers have started growing them as part of the CHAIN programme.
“Other farmers under support from CHAIN have proved that there is a viable market for locally produced vegetables, as well as opportunities for boosting household incomes, resilience and nutrition,” Sokundaran continues.
Yellow watermelons can be grown year-round rather than just seasonally and farmers can harvest them 2-3 months after they are planted. April and May are the best months to grow yellow watermelons in Cambodia.
“Growing yellow watermelons requires precise techniques and intensive care. Water and fertiliser should be proportioned to get the desired flavour and size. If we take good care of them as they grow then they can weigh from 6-8 kg,” Chhean says.
The taste, texture, growing techniques and even prices for yellow watermelons are all very much different from that of the more common pink variety.
“Not only is the size larger – they are also sweeter and juicier with flesh that is crisp, but more compacted with a thicker rind. Because of these differences, the yellow watermelon tends to sell at higher prices than the pink ones do and there is potential for growth in the market, because some consumers seem to like them a lot more,” Sokundaran adds.
Chhean claims that yellow watermelons confer a number of health benefits like sharper vision, better digestion, weight-loss, disease immunity, heart health, cancer prevention, and relief from muscle soreness and fatigue, among others.
Whether yellow watermelons alone can actually confer all of those wondrous health benefits on those who consume them is debatable, but the basic dietary advice that makes up the foundation for those claims isn’t controversial: The regular consumption of all manner of fresh fruits and vegetables (including yellow watermelons, if you fancy them) will undoubtedly be a feature of almost any healthy diet.
Chhean says that the most difficult stage in planting is when the yellow watermelon is in its early stages because they can easily rot and they won’t form into a beautiful oval shape if they aren’t cared for properly.
There are three ways to tell when it’s time to harvest yellow watermelons, says Chhean.
“The first is dead tendrils. If you see the vines are dead then it’s probably harvest time. The second is the texture of the melon rind. Once it gets relatively smooth, they are ready. And the most exact method is to simply start counting the days after you plant them and when you hit 27 or 28 days, that’s just about perfect,” he explains.
Ultimately, Chhean says he is filled with gratitude for the help that SNV and CHAIN have given to him and other farmers while asking for absolutely nothing at all in return.
“Before joining their programme, I planted much less and I was just guessing at what to grow. Now, after receiving a lot of training, I have expanded my cultivation to include longans, tomatoes, cauliflowers and cabbages.
“SNV asks nothing from us and rejoices to see us succeed. They are always trying to find new techniques to help our farmers and we are forever grateful to them,” Chhean says.
Sokundaran says that with the help of farmers like Chhean his organisation will continue to develop the market for local produce while focusing on access to food safety technologies, climate change resilience and collaborating with private industry on projects of mutual benefit to these family farmers and bigger corporate businesses.
“In addition to all that, there will be a need for improved quality control of local and imported vegetables in view of increasing local awareness about food safety and increasing demands for local compliance with international safety standards.
“Safer domestic produce will help boost local consumption and demand and also expand the export markets available for our farmers to supply,” he concludes.
