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Watermelon is grown during the post-monsoon season in the northern provinces of Laos and exported into China, where it fills the demand for counter-seasonal fruits. Compared to neighbouring Myanmar and Vietnam, Laotian watermelon production for the Chinese market is minor. However, watermelon has become important as an off-season crop for rural farmers living near the Chinese border because it generates relatively higher revenues than alternatives. Ethnic ties to the rural population on the Chinese side of the border stimulated contract farming, which paved the way for the spread of this cash crop. However, the scarcity of lowland plains coupled with replant failure in watermelon cultivation severely constrains its growth. |
