Watermelons seen in a greenhouse in Taizhou's Huangyan district. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn] 

An application recently launched by Taizhou's Huangyan district to offer services related to watermelon plantation has not only benefited local farmers but also those who are growing the fruit outside the city.

Melon farmers can access various services regarding the production, transportation, processing and sales of the fruit on the platform, according to Jin Wei, deputy director of the reform office of the CPC Huangyan committee.

The application also features a channel that helps farmers sell watermelons and provides suggestions based on consumer feedback.

In addition, more than 20 agronomists have been hired to offer training sessions and answer questions posed by farmers on the platform.

The application, which is currently being used by 15,000 melons farmers, is expected to boost the income of its users by 5 to 10 percent annually.

Huangyan is renowned for being a major producer of watermelons in China. Seven out of every 10 watermelons cultivated in greenhouses in China are grown by farmers from the district.

In fact, watermelon farmers from the district can now be found across China and even in countries including Myanmar, Vietnam, Nigeria and South Africa.

About 43,000 farmers from Huangyan have chosen to leave their hometown to grow watermelons elsewhere in China and abroad, according to official data.

Yang Mingjun, president of the Huangyan Association of Melon Farmers, said it is not uncommon for these farmers to earn 1 million yuan ($153,846) every year.