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Exploding watermelons put spotlight on Chinese farming practices
The Guardian ^
| May 17, 2011
| Jonathan Watts
Posted on 05/17/2011 9:14:50 AM PDT by Parmenio
The flying pips, shattered shells and wet shrapnel still haunt farmer Liu Mingsuo after an effort to chemically boost his fruit crop went spectacularly wrong.
Fields of watermelons exploded when he and other agricultural workers in eastern China mistakenly applied forchlorfenuron, a growth accelerator....The report said the farmers sprayed the fruit too late in the season and during wet conditions, which caused the melons to explode like "landmines". After losing three hectares (eight acres), Liu said he was unable to sleep because he could not shake the image of the fruit bursting.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; napl; watermelon
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At least they exploded in the fields and not in the market.
1
posted on
05/17/2011 9:14:52 AM PDT
by
Parmenio
To: Parmenio
Probably ship through S. American and relabeled organic.
To: Parmenio
Make you feel good about eating them.
3
posted on
05/17/2011 9:16:57 AM PDT
by
edpc
(I disagree. Circle gets the square.)
To: Parmenio
Note to self: DON’T BUY CHINESE EXPLODING FRUIT!
4
posted on
05/17/2011 9:20:55 AM PDT
by
subterfuge
(BUILD MORE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS NOW!!!)
To: Parmenio
Over 50% of the inspected fish they send us is rejected. Far less than 1% of the fish is ever inspected.
They’ll take their chances with less than 1% inspected.
SCARY we have such high demands on our food producers but allow their deadly slop to be sent to us.
5
posted on
05/17/2011 9:21:15 AM PDT
by
boycott
(CAL)
To: Parmenio
“workers in eastern China mistakenly applied forchlorfenuron”
I guess the got it confused with melamine?
6
posted on
05/17/2011 9:23:27 AM PDT
by
Rebelbase
To: Parmenio
Liu said he was unable to sleep because he could not shake the image of the fruit bursting.The very first documented case of Watermelon PTSD.
Oh! The horror!
7
posted on
05/17/2011 9:26:26 AM PDT
by
240B
(he is doing everything he said he wouldn't and not doing what he said he would)
To: subterfuge
Cue Monty Python Instructional Video : How to protect yourself from someone armed with a piece of fresh fruit.
8
posted on
05/17/2011 9:27:39 AM PDT
by
DannyTN
To: Parmenio
Liu said he was unable to sleep because he could not shake the image of the fruit bursting. Can't sleep, but he'll still sell the unexploded melon bombs.
9
posted on
05/17/2011 9:28:00 AM PDT
by
dead
(I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
To: Parmenio
Truth proven AGAIN to be stranger than fiction.
10
posted on
05/17/2011 9:29:02 AM PDT
by
Paladin2
To: DannyTN
“What if he’s got a pointed stick?”
11
posted on
05/17/2011 9:29:44 AM PDT
by
Teacher317
(really?)
To: subterfuge
It’s like someone let Gallagher lose in a field of watermelons with his smashamatic.
12
posted on
05/17/2011 9:30:04 AM PDT
by
DannyTN
To: Parmenio
maybe we should cultivate these along the Mexican Border...
To: Teacher317
14
posted on
05/17/2011 9:32:07 AM PDT
by
freedomlover
(Make sure you're in love - before you move in the heavy stuff)
To: Parmenio
15
posted on
05/17/2011 9:33:45 AM PDT
by
freedomlover
(Make sure you're in love - before you move in the heavy stuff)
To: DannyTN
16
posted on
05/17/2011 9:34:17 AM PDT
by
ErnBatavia
(It's not the Obama Administration....it's the "Obama Regime".)
To: Parmenio
A bit dramatic with the description of the mellons. They probably split, but didn't explode "like landmines."
It takes R. Lee Emery and an itchy trigger finger to do that to a mellon.
17
posted on
05/17/2011 9:34:29 AM PDT
by
Yo-Yo
(Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
To: DannyTN
Cue Monty Python Instructional Video : How to protect yourself from someone armed with a piece of fresh fruit. Haha! My buddies and I performed that skit for a talent show in High School. It was well received.
18
posted on
05/17/2011 9:34:57 AM PDT
by
Thane_Banquo
(Mitt Romney: He's from Harvard, and he's here to help.)
To: Parmenio; Red_Devil 232
Many farmers grow their own food separately from the chemically-raised crops they sell.Ding, ding. That should have been the headline.
19
posted on
05/17/2011 9:36:23 AM PDT
by
bgill
(Kenyan Parliament - how could a man born in Kenya who is not even a native American become the POTUS)
To: Parmenio
Gallagher !!
Calling Gallagher !!
There’s a watermelon here in need of a large mallet.
20
posted on
05/17/2011 9:38:22 AM PDT
by
BuffaloJack
(Obama did not learn incompetence; he was born to it.)
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