How Chinese Farmers Harvest 60 Million Tons of Watermelons Every Year

China is the world’s largest watermelon producer, growing around 60 million tons of watermelons every year. In this farming documentary, we explore how Chinese farmers raise seedlings, prepare fields, care for vines, harvest ripe watermelons by hand and supply one of the biggest fresh fruit markets on Earth.

The journey begins in nurseries and greenhouses, where watermelon seedlings are grown before being transplanted into raised beds covered with plastic mulch and drip irrigation. As the vines spread, farmers manage water, fertilizer, pollination, pests and disease until the fruits grow large beneath the leaves.

When harvest season arrives, workers check ripeness by field spots, tendrils, rind condition and experience. Each watermelon is cut by hand, moved through harvest crews, loaded onto trucks, sorted, packed and sent to wholesale markets, supermarkets, fruit stalls and processing facilities.

From field heat to a sweet red slice, discover how China produces and moves millions of watermelons every year.