newsletter-october-2025

Dear Melon Members,

As we move into the final quarter of the year, I’m pleased to share some exciting developments and milestones that continue to strengthen our industry and deliver value to our members.

🌟 New Member Offerings: Partnerships That Deliver We’re thrilled to announce three new partnerships that expand the value of membership benefits available to Melon members:

Bunnings Trade – providing access to trade pricing and tailored support for your on-farm and operational needs.
Choice Energy – offering energy efficiency solutions and cost-saving opportunities for agribusinesses.
Aviso Marine and Logistics Insurance – delivering specialised insurance products for marine and logistics operations, helping protect the supply chain from paddock to port.

These partnerships present an excellent opportunity for our members to increase their benefit of being a part of Melons Australia and this is just the start!

🥑 Congratulations to Avocados Australia A big congratulations to Avocados Australia on the successful delivery of the North Queensland Roadshow and Field Day. It was a fantastic event that brought together growers, researchers, and industry stakeholders. We look forward to collaborating with Avocados Australia and supporting this initiative in the future and are excited about the potential to broaden the agenda to include the melon industry in future events.

🚛 Carnarvon Roadshow & Melon Field Day Planning is well underway for our upcoming Carnarvon Roadshow, proudly delivered in collaboration with the Australian Mango Industry Association. This event will take place on Tuesday 2nd December 2025, followed by the Melon Field Day on Wednesday 3rd December at the Carnarvon DPRID Research Station. We’re looking forward to connecting with growers and stakeholders in WA and showcasing innovation and collaboration in action.

🌍 Export Connect: Gulf Countries Trade Tour January 2026 We’re also excited to announce a new partnership with Export Connect to deliver a Gulf Countries Trade Tour in January 2026, coinciding with Gulfood 2026. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore new markets and build international trade connections. You’ll find the Expression of Interest form and further details in this edition—and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to discuss your interest in joining the tour.

As always, if there is anything that the Melons Australia team can support or assist you with please feel free to reach out.

Johnathon Davey CEO

E: ceo@melonsaustralia.org.au

P: +61 407 032 023

www.melonsaustralia.org.au

Melons Australia Member Offerings

In recent months, the team at Melons Australia have been exploring opportunities to provide our financial members an increased benefit for their ongoing support. We are delighted to announce three new exciting partnerships which will be open to our financial members, simply by contacting Johnathon Davey, Melons Australia’s CEO (ceo@melonsaustralia.org.au) to express your interest.

Bunnings/Melons Australia:

Bunnings Trade and Melons Australia are delighted to announce a partnership which gives you the opportunity to join the Bunnings Trade PowerPass membership program or link your existing PowerPass account to access a range of exclusive benefits. This partnership will provide Melons Australia members with access to dedicated Business Development Managers and Account Managers, who can partner with your business to provide support with quotes, project management and product sourcing, even if it’s something we don’t stock in-store. We are also excited to announce that this partnership will also provide members with exclusive PowerPass pricing, with a direct benefit from exclusive pricing* on a wide range of products and services across the store and speak to our Team about being added to your organisation’s price list. These will be realised alongside a number of other exclusive membership options!

*Terms and conditions apply. See trade.bunnings.com.au/powerpass for full details

Choice Energy/Melons Australia:

Melons Australia is excited to announce Choice Energy as a new Energy Partner. They have worked with over 13,000 businesses in Australia save close to $100 million. 7 out of 10 growers will be paying more than they need to for their energy, Choice Energy helps growers save through: free energy bill rate checks and assessments; energy contract negotiation; and commercial solar solutions. Choice Energy has worked with Australian horticulture growers for over 12 years and understand most growers are busy and don’t always have time to review their energy rates. Their goal is to make it easier to manage your energy costs and plan for the future.

Wholesale energy rates have more than doubled in the last 5 years.

The below growers didn’t know they could save money before sending a bill in, how do you know you’re on the best rate?

Choice energy saves Qualipac $67,000

Choice Energy saves Murray River Organics $200,000

Choice Energy saves Virgara Bros $76,000 over three years

Aviso Marine and Logistics Insurance/Melons Australia:

Melons Australia further celebrates our new partnership with Aviso Marine and Logistics insurance providers. Aviso Marine and Logistics are more than insurance brokers, being a dedicated risk and insurance facility manager with a focus on specialised insurance services for diverse industries. Aviso brings a wealth of experience across key industries, including marine, logistics, underwriting, finance, and self-insurance strategies. Their multidisciplinary expertise equips them with a deep understanding of the risk landscape to deliver tailored, high-value insurance solutions. From marine, liability, and hull insurance expertise, to advanced logistics and supply chain insights, Aviso provide robust risk management strategies designed to help protect your business.

Please let Melons Australia’s team know, via ceo@melonsaustralia.org.au, should you wish to be connected with any of the above exciting member opportunities and their contacts to make the most of your membership. There are exciting discounts and offers available from each for our financial Melons Australia members.

Excitingly, it’s never too late to join your Peak Industry Body – click the link below to register your interest in becoming a member now!

JOIN HERE

Join the UAE Market Visit Program - January 2026

Melons Australia, in partnership with Export Connect, is inviting melon growers and exporters to take part in the UAE Market Visit Program, running from 24–29 January 2026, to coincide with Gulfood 2026.

This in-market program will give Australian melon growers and exporters the chance to gain first-hand insights into the UAE’s dynamic environment, connect with leading importers and buyers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and strengthen their export capabilities through tailored research, tours and meetings.

Participants in the program will benefit from:

Market and Competitor Insights: In-depth analysis of consumer trends, category and channel insights, and the competitive landscape.
Guided Market Tours: Structured retail and wholesale market tours.
Buyer Meetings: Group sessions with leading buyers from prominent regional importers and retailers.
Export Advice: Ongoing export guidance during the visit to help transform insights into concrete market opportunities.

This is an unparalleled opportunity to experience the UAE’s premium retail environment, connect directly with key Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) importers, and build your business’s export readiness for long-term success.

Expressions of Interest are open until Friday 14 November 2025.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enter and grow in one of the world’s fastest-growing premium food markets

Have Your Say: What Helps or Hinders On-Farm Biosecurity?

Strong farm biosecurity is vital to protect Australia’s vegetable and melon industries from costly pests, diseases, and weeds. Growers are on the frontline, preventing incursions and bearing losses, but implementing measures can be challenging.

La Trobe University and RMCG are conducting a short survey to identify key drivers (what encourages adoption) and barriers (what hinders it) for on-farm biosecurity practices. Your input will highlight practical, cost-effective measures and guide industry/government in creating better support, training, and incentives.

This will make biosecurity easier and more worthwhile, protecting your farm, market access, and the entire industry. Everyone’s real-world experiences, challenges, and successes matter to shape effective programs that work for growers.

Please take the 5-minute survey here https://redcap.latrobe.edu.au/redcap/surveys/?s=7PLAALJK7NC4KRDL

This work is part of a larger study funded by grower levies examining the costs and benefits of biosecurity adoption in the vegetable and melon industries. It looks at both the financial side of adopting measures-such as cleaning equipment, managing visitors, and monitoring for pests, as well as the social and practical factors that influence grower decisions.

For more information please contact Joseph Sithole

T: +61 499 790 835 E: J.Sithole@latrobe.edu.au

Supply Chain Quality Work Expands to Include Storage

The project team has expanded its research on maintaining melon quality throughout the supply chain to include storage conditions. This builds on prior work examining rough handling, transport vibration, and packhouse machinery impacts on internal quality.

The goal is to preserve harvest-quality fruit until it reaches consumers. The new focus reviews recommended storage temperatures, times, and ethylene levels—watermelons are especially sensitive to ethylene.

Data will pinpoint where damage is most likely and identify optimal handling, transport, and storage practices to protect internal quality.

Project Lead Mark Loeffen states: “Understanding storage effects is crucial to ensure growers’ and packers’ efforts for consistent eating quality aren’t undermined. Findings will help the industry manage internal quality across the supply chain and deliver melons in peak condition to consumers.”

This advances a comprehensive approach to protecting melon quality from harvest to market, potentially shaping future industry guidelines for storage and handling.

Soil Wealth ICP Project Update

Demo site updates – Central Australia and Far North Queensland

A new Soil Wealth ICP demonstration (SWICP) at Ali Curung (NT) is testing how alternating beds of melons and cover crops can improve soil health, resilience, and productivity in central Australia’s challenging conditions. Read more HERE

At the Ayr Research Facility, the SWCIP team is testing combinations of cover crops and biostimulants to improve soil health, resilience, and productivity in melon systems, while monitoring soil, crop, and economic outcomes to guide grower adoption. Read more HERE

SWICP event: Workshop and field walk

North Queensland vegetable and melon growers are invited to a practical workshop at the Ayr Research Station on 12 November to learn how cover crops can improve soil health, reduce erosion, and enhance wet season readiness.

More info and to register HERE

Melon Fund Highlights

Hort Innovation has released the Melon Fund highlights for 2024/25, showcasing key achievements:

Industry connection: The first Melon Conference in seven years in Brisbane, plus the Melon Grower Roadshow and study tours to Spain, boosted networking and knowledge sharing.
Quality and safety: Investments in biosecurity and the Melon Quality Project enhanced standards, earning international acclaim for Australian melons. Exports to Japan and beyond continue to grow.
Collaboration and storytelling: Workshops with vegetable, onion, potato, and sweetpotato sectors promoted partnerships, while the “Day in the Life of a Melon Grower” video at the Chinchilla Festival highlighted grower stories.

The Melon Fund Annual Investment Plan 2025/26, released in September 2025, aligns with the Melon Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) following a June 2025 advisory panel. It prioritises R&D in supply, productivity, sustainability, demand, and extension, with proposed investments including: data generation for melon residue trials (focus on crop safety), export market insights, multi-industry MRL data maintenance, global scan of harvesting technologies, UAE trade mission, attracting AgTech manufacturers via FIRA Oceania, and National Bee Pest Surveillance; foundational projects like consumer tracking and mid-term reviews are also noted.

Click here to view the Melon Fund Annual Investment Plan 2025/2026

Melon Crop Permit Update

PERMIT TO ALLOW MINOR USE OF A REGISTERED AGVET CHEMICAL PRODUCT FOR CONTROL OF FALL ARMYWORM IN VARIOUS CROPS

PERMIT TO ALLOW MINOR USE OF A REGISTERED AGVET CHEMICAL PRODUCT FOR POST HARVEST TREATMENT OF MELONS TO CONTROL FRUIT FLY PESTS OF QUARANTINE CONCERN

Caring for Country Music Competition

Voting for the Caring for Country Music Competition is open 3-16 November!

This year’s entries include original songs celebrating how we can all help protect our land and waterways.

From songs about plant and animal pests and diseases, aquatic biosecurity, weeds, invasive species and feral cats, to heartfelt lyrics about connection to Country, caring for each other, and staying biosecurity conscious when traveling, musicians share creative messages about keeping Australia’s ecosystems healthy.

The songs can be listened to on the competition website where anyone can cast their vote for their favourite. Remember, only one vote per person – so make it count! The song with the most People's Choice votes will take home $2,500!

Vote Here

Annual Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy (NABS) Roundtable & Toolbox Session

The 3rd annual Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy (NABS) Roundtable took place in Cairns in October, bringing together 77 stakeholders from government, industry, Indigenous communities, and research organisations to address key biosecurity challenges in northern Australia. The event served as a collaborative platform for sharing insights, fostering innovation, and reinforcing a shared commitment to protecting the region’s unique environments and industries. Speakers included Troy Garling, who discussed myths around Indigenous engagement, Anne Leadbeater, who shared lessons on recovery and resilience, and Yakub Sebastian, who presented data projects from Charles Darwin University. An industry panel featuring Allison Dakin, Gavin Mackay, and Shaun Jackson offered valuable on-the-ground perspectives, further enriching the dialogue.

In conjunction with the Roundtable, a dedicated workshop session brought together participants from across sectors to strengthen relationships, deepen trust, and build a shared understanding of biosecurity priorities. During this session, stakeholders identified five key initiatives aimed at fostering stronger partnerships and improving outcomes for both people and biosecurity systems. The discussions highlighted that while existing relationships across the sector are strong, the foundations supporting them remain equally robust—paving the way for continued collaboration and collective progress under the NABS framework.

Australian-Grown Innovation

Do you have an idea or the beginnings of an idea to help tackle industry challenges such as intergenerational farm transfer solutions, climate resilience strategies, value-added product innovation, technology-driven solutions harnessing AI, and supply chain improvements. If so The Australian-Grown Innovation program, run by Startupbootcamp and Cluster Connect in partnership with Hort Innovation might be just what you need to help turn your idea or spark into a profitable reality!

The Australian-Grown Innovation Program mentors growers and horticulture supply chain participants to transform ideas into commercially viable products and services over five years.

The Engage workshop, a hands-on, in-person event, helps participants understand innovation’s importance using tools like the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas, guided by experienced industry leaders. Attendees engage in practical exercises to diversify income, enhance efficiency, and tackle real-world issues within a supportive regional network, offering a great opportunity to connect and shape the future of Australian horticulture.

Click here to find out more and register for the engage session

Compliance and enforcement activates to increase in Sunraysia this season

Businesses that engage workers to harvest and pick fruit are a focus of an expanded compliance and engagement program by Victoria’s Labour Hire Authority (LHA).

From July-September, LHA officers attended many Horticulture growers’ premises in Sunraysia and identified alleged non-compliance.

Any grower found using an unlicensed labour hire company faces the same financial penalties as the operators of the unlicensed company themselves – penalties of up to $650,000 for corporations and $160,000 for individuals.

LHA’s compliance operation in Sunraysia will continue throughout this year’s harvest season.

Protect your business:

Check the licence of any current providers is active on the Labour Hire Licence Register
Subscribe to be notified of any changes to providers’ licence status through the Follow my Providers tool

More information

Learn more about Victoria’s labour hire licensing scheme, and how to comply as a host business on the LHA Horticulture hosts page.

TropAg Conference

Attend the fifth international TropAg conference, taking place from Tuesday 11 to Thursday 13 November 2025 at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane.

This year’s program will focus on addressing global challenges and will feature leading Australian and international experts advancing research, technology, and innovation across the agriculture and food sectors. The three-day event includes six international keynote speakers, 27 symposia sessions, three social events, and extensive networking opportunities with researchers, students, industry leaders, government representatives, producers, and professionals from around the world.

Discounted registration rates of $990 are available for growers.

Venue: Royal International Convention Centre

Address: 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills, QLD, 4006, AU

Starts: Tue Nov 11 2025

Ends: Thu Nov 13 2025

Free online information and Q&A session on the Pacific Engagement Visa

Join a free online information and Q&A session on the Pacific Engagement Visa.

🗓 Tuesday 11 November

⏰ 2:30 – 3:30pm AEDT

The Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) is a permanent visa available to eligible citizens from participating Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.

Why consider employing a PEV holder?

✅ They can live in Australia permanently

✅ No sponsorship costs for employers

✅ Eligible to work in any job, at any skill level

✅ Can work anywhere in Australia

✅ Access to support services to help match applicants with your job opportunities

This is a great opportunity to ask your questions directly to representatives from the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Join QFVG and BFVG for an afternoon of insights, connection, and celebration!

Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) and Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers (BFVG) are bringing growers and industry together to reflect, reconnect, and raise a glass to another year in Queensland horticulture.

Come along for one, or all, of the following:

QFVG Annual General Meeting | 4pm – 4:30pm Supported by WFI Insurance
BFVG Annual General Meeting | 4:45pm – 5:15pm
Water Matters: A conversation with Sunwater | 5:30pm – 7:30pm Networking event sponsored by Sunwater RSVP for Water Matters Networking Event: Sunday, 2 November.

This year’s networking event -Water Matters- is your chance to enjoy a relaxed evening while chatting directly with representatives from Sunwater about local water priorities and the trends shaping the region.

Pull up a chair, enjoy a drink, and celebrate with fellow growers and industry friends.

Venue: Burnett Riverside Hotel

Address: 7 Quay Street, Bundaberg QLD 4670

Starts: Thu Nov 13 2025

National Ag Day 2025

National Agriculture Day is your chance to celebrate about Australia’s incredible farm sector. Held on the third Friday of November each year, it’s one day to celebrate an industry that’s part of our lives – every single day.

On this Ag Day, Australians are being called to Stand with the Land. For the past year, our farmers have shown extraordinary grit, navigating record-breaking floods, devastating droughts, imperfect policies and trade disruptions. Stand with the Land is a powerful call to action that unites Australians in solidarity with our farmers and rural communities.

Melons Australia will be sharing our plans for the day soon. In the meantime, we’d love for you to share your own celebrations on social media and tag us @MelonsAustralia.

Date: 21st November 2025

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Melons Australia Roadshow

Melons Australia, in partnership with Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA), invites you to the Carnarvon Roadshow. Join us to hear from industry researchers, suppliers, and the Melons Australia team as we share updates on current projects, research, and key industry insights.

Following the presentations, enjoy an opportunity to network over drinks and canapés.

Date: Tuesday 2nd December 2025, 4pm

Location: Carnarvon Motel, 34 David Brand Dr, Brockman WA 6701

Topics include:

Mangoes and Melons industry updates
Mangoes marketing update
RD&E progress (including Food Safety & Quality Improvement)
Biosecurity and more

Then on Wednesday 3 December join us for a Melon field day at the Carnarvon DPRID Research Station.

RSVP: Courtney - comms@melonsaustralia.org.au - 0475 270 285

Free Ticket! 2026 XI International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops

Hort Innovation is offering melon growers a free ticket to the industry-focused workshop and technical tour at Tatura SmartFarm, Victoria, from 18–23 January 2026.

The ticket provides access to:

🌱 Research and development sessions and presentations (Tuesday, 20 January)

🚌 A technical tour of the Goulburn Valley (Wednesday, 21 January)

The workshop will explore “Sustaining future orchard profitability in years with reduced access to irrigation water”, covering AI applications, advanced irrigation technologies, and innovative agronomic practices.

Simply tell us in 25 words or less why you wish to attend (email: comms@melonsaustralia.org.au). Entries close in 10 days, and we will then announce who has been chosen to attend. No transport or accommodation costs will be covered.

More details and the program overview can be found here

ACCESS ALL PAST MELON NEWS MAGAZINES AND MELON ENEWS HERE

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