Panama Edges into Square Watermelon Market

The Panama Fruit Producer company is joining the square watermelon market and exporting its first 120 square cubic fruits to New York.

Operations manager Gerardo Diaz said the watermelons are natural. They grow inside cube-shaped boxes and conform to the mold as they get bigger.  Boxes are usually made of unbreakable polycarbonate, 30 times stronger than glass, which are built to withstand extreme watermelon growth pressure.

In the first batch, each cubic fruit will cost $75 but the producers hope to bring the price down.  The company expects to export 3,000 more this year to the Netherlands and Germany as well.

The square watermelon dates back thirty years when it was first grown by a farmer on southwestern Shikoku island.  This refrigerator-friendly fruit is reportedly easier to cut and store than the traditional watermelon.

Associated Press reports.