Tokyo, May 24 (IANS): Two melons from the Japanese city of Yubari on Friday fetched a record price of 5 million yen ($45,600) in the first auction of this year's agricultural season in the country.

The two cantaloupe variety-melons, characterized by their orange pulp and sweetness, were part of around 1,000 pieces of Yubari brand melons auctioned at the wholesale market in Sapporo, reports Efe news.

The melons will be on public display from Saturday to May 29.

This variety of melon is considered to be of especially good quality because it is grown and ripened during a long period of sunny weather and has an almost perfectly round shape.

Auctions of agricultural products in Japan traditionally start around this time of the year, which marks the beginning of the season, and the first few to hit the market - which are sold for exorbitant prices - go under the hammer with much fanfare, with the purchases being valued more as a trophy.