Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Minister
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    • Report a concern
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Plant Innovation Centre
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Budget 2023-24

    Budget 2023-24

    The 2023–24 Portfolio Budget Statements were released on 9 May 2023.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Biosecurity
  4. Biosecurity risk analysis
  5. Plant risk analyses
  6. Melons from Japan

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Plant risk analyses
    • Plant commodity/country and pest risk analyses
    • How we conduct a plant risk analysis

Melons from Japan

We are conducting a risk analysis for fresh melon fruit for human consumption from Japan.

Risk analysis flow chart - start of risk analysis

Risk analysis:

When we do a risk analysis, we:​​

  • review the science on pests and diseases of concern
  • assess and analyse biosecurity risks
  • develop proposed risk management measures, if required
  • consult the public on the draft report and then review comments
  • publish the final report
  • verify that the country can meet the recommended risk management measures
  • develop import conditions
  • publish import conditions in our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).

About the risk analysis

We initiated this risk analysis because Japan requested market access for fresh melons (Cucumis melo). The request covers all melon varieties except oriental melon (C. melo var. makuwa) and oriental pickling melon (C. melo var. utilissimus, syn. C. melo var. conomon). Learn more about why we carry out risk analyses and our international obligations.

This risk analysis is being conducted as a review of biosecurity import requirements. This is because we have completed a preliminary assessment of the pests of potential biosecurity concern associated with melons from Japan and have found that:

  • the pests of concern are the same as, or similar to, pests or pest groups we have previously assessed for other horticultural goods. These pests include true bugs, spider mites, thrips, fungi, fungus-like organisms and viruses.
  • appropriate risk management measures exist for these pests or pest groups.

Trade

Australia-Japan trade

Japan is an important trading partner of Australia. Japan is Australia’s second largest trading partner, with two-way goods and services totalling $117.2 billion in 2021-22. They are also Australia’s second largest export market for agriculture, forestry and fisheries products; worth $6.2 billion in 2021-22.

Melon industry in Japan

In 2020 Japan produced 147,900 tonnes of melons. Melons are grown throughout the country.

Japan produces melons year-round. They use a range of cultivation techniques, with different cultivars harvested in different seasons.

Most melons in Japan are consumed as fresh fruit in the domestic market, however fruit are also exported to Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

Melon industry in Australia

The Australian melon industry is well established and consists of approximately 200 growers producing melons across an area of around 8,500 hectares. The major melon types produced in Australia are rockmelons, honeydew melons and watermelons.

Importantly, the melons from Japan risk analysis only applies to fruit varieties within the melon (Cucumis melo) species. This means it does not include watermelons (Citrullus lanatus). Accordingly, the Australian statistics outlined below are applicable to melons (Cucumis melo) only.

Melons are grown across most states and territories within Australia. Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are the largest producers. Smaller volumes are produced in Victoria and South Australia.

In 2021-22, the Australian melon industry produced 57,800 tonnes of melons (rockmelons, honeydew melons and Piel de Sapo melons), valued at $81.1 million. Rockmelons, honeydew melons and Piel de Sapo melons account for 85%, 14% and 1% of melon production, respectively.

Melons are available year-round in Australia, with the main production periods being: August to April for rockmelon, July to October for honeydew melon, and February to April for Piel de Sapo.

In 2021-22, Australia exported 10,336 tonnes of melons (rockmelons, honeydew melons and Piel de Sapo melons), valued at $20.6 million. The top export markets were Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

Melon imports

Australia permits the import of fresh rockmelon and honeydew melon from New Zealand, European countries, and the United States of America (except Hawaii) and fresh rockmelon and oriental melon from Korea. All imports must meet Australia’s biosecurity import conditions.

Australia has not imported melons (Cucumis melo) in the last 5 years.

Next steps

We will:

  1. review the science on pests and diseases of concern
  2. assess and analyse the biosecurity risks
  3. develop a draft report, which will propose risk management measures (if required) to manage the identified biosecurity risks
  4. release the draft report for a 60-calendar day public consultation period. We plan to release the draft report in the mid-2024. Please note that this is an indicative timeline and may be subject to change.

Keep informed

Register as a stakeholder

Subscribe to ‘Biosecurity Risk Analysis Plant’ via our online subscription service to receive Biosecurity Advices and other notifications relating to plant biosecurity policy.

Contact us

For more information, email imports@aff.gov.au or phone 1800 900 090 (when prompted select option 1, then option 1).

General enquiries

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 30 August 2023

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.