It’s summer time now, and fruits are tasty

A worker at Malu Grape Park prunes grape vines for better growing. — Wang Jiajun

Lu Beibei and Wang Jiajun

Early summer is the annual loquat ripening season. In the loquat garden on Shuangzhu Road in Huating Town, strings of yellow, round fruits hang on the branches. Farmers are busy harvesting.

The loquat species in the garden were introduced from neighboring Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Loquat trees have been planted for five years.

This year is the second year they have born fruit, and the output is expected to reach 3,000 jin (1,500 kilograms). In the early growing stages, the light, rain and temperatures are ideal for a good crop. Compared with previous years, this year¡¯s loquat tastes sweeter and the quality is better.

Loquats are just one of many agricultural delicacies coming into season and highlighting the quality of the district¡¯s produce.

Crayfish and watermelons are other delights in local markets. In Freshippo¡¯s Chengzhong store, crayfish are abundant ¡ª both raw and cooked.

Watermelons from Nanhui are also in season. At the Yumin wet market, crayfish and watermelon are available at almost all the aquatic and fruit stalls.

From the beginning of the month, the Malu Grape Park reopened its doors, and some grape varieties can be picked on site.

In the greenhouse at the Malu Grape Research Institute, clusters of grapes hang on vines everywhere, creating a beautiful sight.

At present, the grape varieties in the greenhouse are mature. Each variety has its own flavor. Some taste sweet, refreshing and juicy, with rock sugar flavors; the seedless varieties have large grains, high sugar content and a strawberry flavor; the crispy ones taste sweet, with thin skins and a faint rose fragrance.

In addition to selling on online platforms such as Tmall or JD.com, the Malu Grape Park will also promote the group purchase on local e-commerce platforms.

The retail price is 100 yuan (US$14.9) per kilogram, and group purchases will get a discount. The output of the Malu Grape Park this year is expected to be 250,000 kilograms, almost the same as last year.

Middle and late maturing varieties of grapes will be on the shelves from middle to late July till October.