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'Exploding' watermelons hit farmers in China

A rash of "exploding" watermelons has hit farmers in eastern China after they sprayed their crops too liberally with growth-accelerating chemicals.



Agricultural experts said that the melons had been sprayed with "forchlorfenuron" growth-accelerator Photo: ALAMY

By Peter Foster, Beijing 4:05PM BST 17 May 2011

Liu Mingsuo, a farmer from the eastern province of Jiangsu, told China's state broadcaster that he couldn't sleep because he kept picturing his precious melons exploding in his field like "landmines".

"On May 7, I came out and counted 80 (bursting watermelons) but by the afternoon it was 100," said Mr Liu who told China Central TV that three acres of his melons had exploded. "Two days later I didn't bother to count anymore."

Agricultural experts said that the melons had been sprayed with "forchlorfenuron" – a legal additive that is also used in the United States – but that excessive quantities had been used in wet conditions to try and boost profits by getting the fruit to market early.

In theory China follows many internationally recognised standards for food safety but in practice these are frequently ignored. About 20 farmers and 45 acres of watermelon around the city of Danyang were affected, CCTV added.

China's government is increasingly nervous about food safety issues after a string of scandals that include melamine-tainted milk, toxic beansprouts, steroid-laced pork and meat that 'glows in the dark.

In a rare move, the usually tightly-controlled state media has reportedly been encouraged to investigate and publicise food scandals in an attempt to hold unscrupulous and incompetent food producers to account.

In the latest report a Beijing resident found water turning red after she washed some spicy Sichuan peppers she had bought in her local market.

The produce, which was dyed to "enhance" its appeal to shoppers, has now been sent away for testing, *China Daily* newspaper reported.

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