A rash of watermelon thefts has occurred in Ueki, with some 500 of the fruit recently snatched from several farmers. In addition to sales losses of 1.5 million yen is damage done to greenhouses and the trampling of carefully tended plants. Ueki is just off the Kyushu Expressway; my guess is that the watermelon thieves are from areas further afield - local retailers would be circumspect about origin. JA and the police are stepping up patrols. - William