One Vietnamese fruit grower is attempting to boost his profits by growing pomelos that are shaped like gourds.
A week before the Tet holidays in 2006, Vo Trung Thanh was shopping in Can Tho where he found customers going crazy for square watermelons.
A pomelo farmer for 20 years, Mr Thanh was hit with an idea.
'Why not grow unusual shaped pomelos? If I can, my pomelos will sell like hot cakes,' he told Vietnam News.
Thanh came up with a plan to grow pomelos that were shaped like gourds.
'For many southerners, the pomelo is an indispensable fruit for their families' altars during the Tet holidays, and the gourd symbolises luck and peace,' Mr Thanh said.
'A pomelo that is shaped like a gourd, therefore, will be more fitting for altars on such an occasion.'
At the start of 2007 season, Mr Thanh selected 20 pairs of pomelos that were the right shape for his trial. He tied ribbons under the stem of the fruit so that the tops would not be able to develop normally.
Three of the pairs had the right shape and, inspired by his success, Mr Thanh grew 400 gourd-shaped pomelo trees, with 80 per cent of the fruit harvested gourd-shaped.
A pair of gourd-shaped pomelos sells for US$10-15 while a pair of normal pomelos sells for around US$3. Mr Thanh earned a profit of around US$1,500 after selling 170 pairs of the remodelled fruit last season.
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