CNI News

3 Dec 2022

Trucks exporting watermelons to China were forced to turn back to the local market due to COVID-19 restrictions in China, according to watermelon exporters and farmers.

As lockdowns have been imposed in various parts of China to prevent the spread of the virus while some COVID-19 cases were detected in the watermelon trading market, trucks exporting watermelons were forced to turn back, Ko Thitsar, a watermelon farmer in Sagaing Region, told the CNI.

Conducting RDTs in China. (GETTY IMAGES)

He said, "Watermelon trucks were forced to turn back due to the zero COVID-19 policy of China. Under the policy, lockdowns have been imposed in various parts of China. So, Chinese merchants failed to get to the trading market. First, some COVID-19 cases were detected in the trading market and the lockdown was imposed there. Then, lockdowns were also imposed in other areas. Chinese merchants who had bought watermelons from us could not transports the fruit to other parts of the country. So, truck drivers had to turn back."

It has been about a week since the first truck turned back and about 300 trucks have turned back to the local market within a week.

Trucks preparing to transport watermelons to China. (GETTY IMAGES)

The returning watermelons were distributed to nearby townships along the road such as Lashio, Mandalay and Meiktila as well as to Yangon, according to a watermelon merchant.

He told the CNI, "It has been about a week since the first truck turned back to the local market and about 300 truckloads have come back during the week. The fruit can be damaged if it is not eaten for a long time. So, we sold them in towns along the road such as Lashio, Mandalay and Meiktila. Some watermelons were taken back to Yangon and other regions."

The current outbreak of COVID-19 in China may lead to changes in trade policy and watermelon farmers are required to closely watch the policy and market of China before they grow winter season watermelons, according to Chinese policy and market experts.