MUSIC, MASSAGE TO GROW FRUITS

KUALA LUMPUR: After more than a decade of experimenting, a trio of Malaysian farmers say they have found the right concoction of nutrients and treatments to successfully grow Japanese muskmelons, one of the world’s most expensive fruits. The farmers at Malaysian company Mono Premium Melon regularly rub the melons with a soft cloth or glove, a practice called “tama-fuki”, said to enhance their flavour, and play classical music over speakers in the greenhouses, which is believed to stimulate growth.

“Every single Japanese melon that you see in our farm is almost like an art piece,” said Seh Cheng Siang, director and co-founder of Mono, at the company’s farm in Putrajaya.

Since the last century, farmers in Japan have been perfecting the art of cultivating these melons, which are prized for their taste and precise spherical shape, and are sold in high-end shops as luxury items. In attempting to match this quality, the farmers have had to contend with Malaysia’s hot and humid tropical climate, a world away from the more temperate conditions in Japan.

“We have to make sure that nutrition, the watering and the fertiliser are done consistently and precisely,” said Seh.

The melons are sold for 168 ringgit ($40.70) each, about 1/3 of the price they are sold for in Japan.