Comments by "Yo2" (@yo2trader539) on "China’s Watermelon Prices Crash: Mountains Unsold, Used for Feeding Cows u0026 Pigs, Farmers Lose $280K" video.

@peterseth3296 Fruits in Japan are generally expensive because of the high quality and cost of producing them. Small watermelons cost about JPY 1,500-2,000 or US$10-15. That is about an hourly wage in fast food industry these days. And Japanese watermelons are really sweet.
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@xipingcao Most Chinese agricultural products won't pass Japanese food safety standards.
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Chinese agricultural products often fail environmental regulations in Japan. I think it has something to do with either the water, soil, or fertilizers they use. We have Chinese garlic in Japan, but they are grown in designated fields under instructions from Japanese companies to meet Japanese standards.
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Watermelons in Japan are an expensive summer delicacy. Small ones sell for JPY 1,500-2,000, and large ones sell for JPY 3,000-4,000. And famous brand watermelons are sold for over JPY 10,000. (I highly doubt you'll be able to find a watermelon for US$ 7 in Japan.) As the Japanese name SUIKA (西瓜) indicates, watermelons originally came from Central Asia via the Silk Road. It's not naturally suited for Japan's climate conditions. Watermelons are most suited for high day-time temperatures and cooler evenings, and they grow poorly in colder climates.
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@tacogodboomdogg All sorts of food scares have occurred in the past. Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, or O-157 have been detected from agricultural imports from China. It's coming from contaminated water source, soil, local fertilizer, etc. Therefore, food exported to Japan are mostly from special contract farms that follow Japanese food safety standards. If we can, we will try to avoid foreign products as much as possible. But depending on season, product, or price range, we don't have much choice. My local supermarket has bananas from the Philippines and Ecuador, and avocado from Mexico. I don't think we grow bananas or avocado in Japan.
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