日本北海道頂級西瓜賣３０万円一個

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

「でんすけすいか」初競り １玉３０万円
6月17日 11時43分

北海道の贈答用のスイカとして人気がある「でんすけすいか」の初競りが、１７日、旭川市などの市場で行われ、１玉３０万円の値がつきました。

「でんすけすいか」は北海道当麻町の特産品で、皮の表面が黒く、甘みが強いのが特徴です。


１７日朝、旭川市と札幌市で競りにかけられ、このうち旭川市の卸売市場では、競りに先立って市場関係者がスイカを味見し、ことしの出来を確認していました。
このあと３５玉のスイカが競りにかけられ、競り人の威勢の良い掛け声とともに次々と値がつけられ、ことしの最高値は、去年と同じ１玉３０万円でした。
市場関係者によりますと、ことしの「でんすけすいか」は春先の低温で生育が遅れましたが、先月後半から天候が回復して例年どおりの甘みがあるということです。
最高値で競り落とした仲卸業者の男性は「夏にかけてさらにおいしくなってほしいという期待を込めて、高値で競り落としました」と話していました。
「でんすけすいか」は、贈答用として需要が高まる来月中旬ごろに出荷のピークを迎えます。

(試譯文)

Hokkaido’s popular watermelon the “Densuke Watermelon” was used as an exchanging present; its first market auction was performed in the Asahikawa city etc. on the 17th (June) and the value of one ball touched 300,000 yen.

The Densuke watermelon was a specialty of Toma-cho in Hokkaido, its surface skin was black, and the strong sweet taste was its feature.

It was put to the auction in Asahikawa city and in Sapporo in the morning of the 17^th. Among them, in the Asahikawa city the participants of the auction market could taste the watermelon in advance to check the result that had come out this year.

After that all the 35 balls of the watermelon were bidden at the auction market, one after another a price was given with auction market people's energetic shouting. The top price this year was the same as last year at 300,000 yen a ball.

According to the market participants this year the watermelon was delayed in growth due to the low temperature at the beginning of spring. It was said that the weather would improve from the second half of last month and they would have the same sweet taste as in other ordinary years.

A male trader who made the top bid was saying that "into the summer, it is expected that it would become even more delicious, and it is bidden at a high price".

"Densuke watermelon" would reach the peak of its shipment at the middle of next month when demand as an object for present exchange would increase.

It is so expensive, it must be very delicious.