One of the biggest hurdles the Australian cucurbit industry faces is inter state market acceptance of produce grown in areas where the virus has been found, namely parts of the Northern Territory and one farm in Northern Queensland. “We have to have market acceptance. It’s important to have a strategy so that markets within Australia can accept each other’s produce,” said Dianne Fullelove, Industry Development Manager with the Australian Melon Association.
There have also been meetings with growers in the Northern Territory to discuss the issues the industry is facing, namely the plan of action around the discovery of the Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus, or CCGMV. “I’ve been working with the DPI in the Northern Territory. We had probably 20 or 30 people at each of two meetings. In particular growers in Katherine had been impacted by the virus,” said Ms Fullelove.
The second meeting only concluded on Friday last week, but Ms
Fullelove is hopeful of a plan of action coming out of the gatherings. “There were discussions around when growers will be able to plant again, likely the 2016 season,” she confirmed. “Researchers are developing a soil test and the plan is that growers will import crops for the Northern Territory. They very much want to get back onto their original farms after having relocated.”
Fullelove is hopeful of a plan of action coming out of the gatherings. “There were discussions around when growers will be able to plant again, likely the 2016 season,” she confirmed. “Researchers are developing a soil test and the plan is that growers will import crops for the Northern Territory. They very much want to get back onto their original farms after having relocated.”Growers in Queensland and the Northern Territory are adjusting to new biosecurity requirements following the discovery of a virus affecting all cucurbits, which includes cucumbers, melons, squash and pumpkin and zucchini. No other crops besides melons have been seriously impacted so far, according to Ms Fullelove. The spread of the virus within melons alone could damage the state’s $90 million melon industry, however.
As far as harvesting goes, melon season in Queensland is ticking along, albeit with a small amount of exports to New Zealand only. “Exports are going to New Zealand from Northern Queensland for example, but it’s really only Rockmelon and Honeydew melon,” said Ms Fullelove. Farmers in the Northern Territory – another key melon and cucurbit growing region, have also had to relocate after the virus was found in their crops, but supply remained stable.
For more information:
Dianne Fullelove, Industry Development Manager,
Melons Australia
Phone: +61 7 3374 0453
E-mail: idp@melonsaustralia.org.au
Website: www.melonsaustralia.org.au