TOKYO • A pair of premium Japanese melons was sold yesterday for just a slice of the five million yen (S$66,150) reached at auction the previous year, as the coronavirus bites hard.
The melons from Yubari city, on the northern island of Hokkaido, sold for a snip at 120,000 yen at the season's first auction40 times less than the previous year's record price tag.
An official at the wholesale market blamed the coronavirus for keeping away rich corporate clients who compete to outbid one another for the most expensive fruit.
The virus meant the auction was smaller than usual and mostly made up of lower-net-worth individuals.
The successful bidder wanted to show gratitude and support for local farmers, according to local news agency Kyodo.
The wholesale market has been closed since April 20 as part of actions to stem the spread of the coronavirus, however, held a one-off auction to drum up support for local products.
Hokkaido, the country's northern-most main island and a popular tourist destination, has seen a relatively high number of virus infection cases along with Tokyo, Osaka and other urban areas.
The government lifted a state of emergency for Hokkaido and the Tokyo area yesterday.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A man showing a pair of melons produced in Yubari city in Hokkaido, which was sold for 120,000 yen (S$1,590) at the season's first auction yesterday. This was 40 times less than the previous year's record price tag of five million yen, as the coronavirus meant the auction was smaller than usual and mostly made up of lower-net-worth individuals. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE