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A pair of the Yubari melon, a premium orange-fleshed cantaloupe variety from Hokkaido, sold for 2.5 million yen in this harvest season's first auction held at the Sapporo City Central Wholesale Markets on Tuesday.

The price is a record high, surpassing the 2 million yen a pair fetched last year, according to Yubari's agricultural cooperative. The winning bidder of what was considered the best pair on Tuesday was a businessman dealing in seafood lunchboxes and souvenirs near the marketplace.

The pair was among the 100 put up for tender by farmers who started harvesting the fruit on Monday in Yubari, the city widely known for the melon.

Blessed with good weather, this year's harvest should have a high sugar content and good quality, according to the Yubari agricultural cooperative. Shipments are scheduled to peak between mid-June and mid-July.