Melon E-News October 2023


In this issue:

Melons Australia's Executive Officer Update


Welcome to the latest edition of the Melons Australia ENews! Read more about our kick start to the 2023/24 roadshows, updates on our advocacy and industry partnerships, biosecurity news and upcoming events - and much more!

Roadshows successful kick start for 2023/24!

Joanna Embry, Melons Australia’s Biosecurity Officer and I are currently on the road kicking off the second round of our 2023/23 roadshows. So far we’ve had very positive engagement in Barmera, South Australia and Mildura Victoria.

We are now looking forward to catching up with growers and industry in Griffith, NSW this afternoon 2 November for a 4pm kick off at the Kidman Wayside Inn! We’ll then be heading to Ayr in Queensland for the final Roadshow for 2023 on Tuesday 14th November. Registrations are open and we look forward to seeing you there or at future events in a region near you in early 2024.

Melon Quality Standards Workshop update

Thank you to those industry members, from growers, wholesalers, retailers and marketers, who attended the Melon Quality Standards Workshop in Brisbane in October 2023. We are now looking forward to Phase 2 of the project kicking off in early 2024 and utilising our current roadshow series to test with industry the Draft Melon Maturity Standards.

New Hort Innovation/Melons Australia MOU

Melons Australia was pleased to sign an MOU with Hort Innovation to support grass roots industry having input into research and development ideation and priority setting. The MOU empowers Melons Australia to engage with industry across the country to garner R&D needs, ideas and opportunities, which will then be provided through to Hort Innovation and the Melon Fund Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) process to act upon.  I would like to encourage you to reach out to me if you wish to provide R&D needs or project ideas for 2024/25 at any time.

Varroa mite Transition to Management Plan update

Both myself and Joanna Embry, Melons Aus Biosecurity Officer, continue to be involved in ongoing briefings and deliberations about the transition to a management plan for living with varroa mite in Australia. We hope to be able to report on more detail on this plan over the coming month.  Although this has been a very challenging process for all involved, the collaboration and transparency that all parties have shown is a model that would be well duplicated for future responses.




Thank you for your continued support and please reach out to me or our team should you require any assistance or support in your day-to-day operations. Contact me - Melons Australia Executive Officer, Johnathon Davey via email here or give me a call on  0407 032 023.

Best regards, Johnathon Davey.

Join us – Griffith and Ayr Roadshows


Melons Australia invite you to our Roadshow series! Come along and hear from industry researchers, suppliers, and the Melon Australia team on current projects and industry insights. And provide feedback on research priorities and needs for the melon industry!

Learn more about the next Roadshow at the Melons Australia Events webpage.

GRIFFITH, NSW: TODAY! Thursday 2 November 2023
More information here.

AYR, QLD: 14th November, 4.30pm kickoff.
More information here.

Ayr - More information:
After the BASF/Nunhems field day, we will have a few brief presentations and networking event with food and drinks provided.

Hear from researchers, experts and industry leaders on topics, including:
  • Biosecurity
  • Melons Australia Update
  • Melon Quality improvements
  • Communications and Engagement
  • Research updates
  • Food Safety

RSVP: Please RSVP by Friday 10 November 2023 to Melons Australia via email comms@melonsaustralia.org.au.

Let us know your Training Needs!


Melons Australia is proactively looking at new opportunities to support the Australian melon industry’s people development and capacity building needs. Give us your feedback on what type of training would best help your business improve effectiveness and efficiency - and you could win a $100 Visa Card!

Go to our survey HERE!

Currently, Melons Australia has a number of Training and Development opportunities (with funding support) open for industry enrolment – more information on all of these opportunities is available here.

Join Our Webinar: 'Identification and Management of a Fungal Disease Complex in Melons.'


Join Melons Australia and Agreco Ausralia for the upcoming online webinar offering a vital update on Project VM22001, 'Identification and Management of a Fungal Disease Complex in Melons.'

When: 9 November 2023, 3:00-3:30PM

Location: Teams Meeting via link HERE.

More Information: The project, led by Chris Themsen of Agreco Australia, aims to improve productivity for the Australian melon industry by enhancing understanding and management of soilborne fungal diseases, including gummy stem blight, charcoal rot, fusarium wilt, and vine decline.

Starting in February 2023, Project VM22001 has made good progress, and this webinar will provide insights into results of all activities to date and upcoming activities for the next 12 months. The project's accomplishments so far include disease surveys in multiple districts, isolation and diagnosis of suspected pathogens, and evaluation of disease pathways from seed to fruit production.

This virtual event encourages active participation, fostering interactive discussions about Project VM22001.

Your involvement is crucial in shaping the future of melon production in Australia. Join us to strengthen the Australian melon industry against fungal disease challenges. 

The Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection Project Update


Building on its previous success, Phase 3 of the Soil Wealth ICP project has expanded to include the Australian melon industry. Read more about the project on the Soil Wealth ICP website and in Melon News Vol. 1, June 2023 p. 19.

Events

The Soil Wealth ICP team are attending the melon roadshow events organised by Melons Australia, to engage with melon growers nationwide and to update the industry on the project.

Demonstration sites update

The project team are in the early stages of setting up two demonstration sites, one in Mildura and one in Griffith. The project is collaborating with the demo site growers who are interested in trying alternatives to plastic mulch and improving their soil and crop health.

Expressions of Interest for Demonstration Site Host Growers

Are you a melon grower from Queensland or the Northern Territory interested in trying new practices and would like support? Are you interested in hosting a demonstration site on your farm? Please reach out to us as we’d like to hear from you.

Collaboration with, and input from, melon growers ensures project activities are relevant and practical. Your engagement is pivotal to the success of the project in achieving its outcomes.

To get involved in the project or if you have any suggestions for the guide please contact: Umberto Calvo, AHR on 0448 189 847 or email Umberto here.

Have your Say – QLD Disaster Impact Survey


The Queensland Government is closely monitoring bushfires impacting the Western Downs, North Burnett and Gladstone regions. It’s timely to remind everyone that primary producers who experience damage or losses due to bushfires, or other disaster events, are encouraged to complete DAF’s Disaster Impact Survey. These reports help determine if additional assistance is needed to support the recovery needs of the impacted primary producers.

Assistance and support are also available through:

For more information, call DAF Queensland on 13 25 23.

Melon Quality Improvement Project Update (VM21001)


The Melon Quality Improvement Project remains ongoing through continued wholesale and retail melon monitoring across watermelon, rockmelon and honeydew melons. This data capture process remains live 24/7 through the members section of the Melons Australia website : Melon Quality Project | Melon Quality Project (melonsaustralia.org.au). Access is available for all growers and members of Melons Australia – contact Courtney comms@melonsaustralia.org.au to sort out your access.

During September 2023 and early October 2023, the Quality Improvement project team engaged on many levels with the melon industry supply chain, which culminated in a Maturity Standards workshop being held on Friday 6th October 2023. This workshop made several recommendations with regards the future quality standards for the melon industry, which were:
  • Seedless Watermelon have a minimum standard of 80% fruit above 10 brix.
    • With the potential to consider a future standard of minimum 11 brix
  • Rockmelon to have a minimum standard of 50% fruit above 11 brix.
  • Honeydew to have a minimum standard of 70% fruit above 11 brix.

It was noted that these Draft Standards move the bar slightly above the current industry specs being applied, and therefore we are now using the current Roadshow series to engage in a conversation with industry on the Draft Standards and to understand what support and needs industry have to encourage us that these Standards are achievable.

Should you wish to know more about this project, the Standards or wish to provide any feedback, please contact Johnathon at execofficer@melonsaustralia.org.au or 0407 032 023, or the project lead Mark Loeffen at mark.loeffen@delytics.com.

Webinar - AHBIC Varroa Mite Update October 2023


The latest Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) varroa mite webinar recording is now available to view on YouTube by clicking here. The webinar provides a NSW DPI varroa response update, situation update for Victoria, AHBIC industry perspective, and provides an overview of varroa mite management as we transition from eradication to management of Varroa Mite.

Melons Australia Roadshow - Join us in Ayr!


Melons Australia invite you to our Roadshow series! Come along and hear from industry researchers, suppliers, and the Melon Australia team on current projects and industry insights. And provide feedback on research priorities and needs for the melon industry!

Learn more about the next Roadshow at the Melons Australia Events webpage.

Location: Ayr Research Facility,Mcdesme.

When: 14th November, 4.30pm kickoff.

Freshcare Australian Assurance Summit 2023


Freshcare extends a warm invitation to you and your team, to the inaugural Australian Assurance Summit, 14th – 15th November at the William Inglis Hotel, Warwick Farm, Sydney.

As a valued Member Organisation of Freshcare, Melons Australia provides a vital link and conduit for communications between Freshcare and Melons Australia’s members.

The Summit focuses on Assurance = sustainability, safe futures, certification and supporting growers. Participating fosters Freshcare-industry-business collaboration for a sustainable fresh produce future.

Explore Early Bird tickets, sponsorship packages for Freshcare partners. Act now, Early Bird ending soon.

Questions? Email event organisers by clicking here or phone Sallie Don at 0408 007 305.


Contact:

Melons Australia

E: execofficer@melonsaustralia.org.au

Copyright © 2023 Melons Australia

All rights reserved.

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