"We are still in the first third of the season, it has been wet but it's good now. When its wet you need to keep on top things, as the melons start to mature faster than they normally would. The season is looking good and so is the quality."
Capogreco Farms grew 10,000 tonnes of melons last year - rock, honeydew and watermelons - Dane reckons this year it will be a similar volume. "This year we are working with a couple of growers in Carnarvon, which is further north, in order to extend the season from our production in Broome. At the moment it is on a trial basis on a couple of hundred acres, but if these new growers come on board then we will be able to supply our customers year round."
The season in Broome is January to May and the addition of melons from Carnarvon would fill the rest of the calender.Most of the company's melons are exported to the Middle East and Asian markets, they expect to export around 90% of the volume this year.
"There are a lot of big growers who supply the local markets and it can become a bit crowded there so we decided to target the export markets," explains Dane. "This season Japan has opened up for Australian melons offering a whole new opportunity for us. The Japanese prefer the mid-size range of melon and as with other fruits the quality must be high for this destination."
Capogreco Farms also trial a lot of different varieties, this year they have 160 different varieties on the go. From that 160 there might be two which get taken to the next stage. According to Dane, the qualities they are looking for in new varieties are sweetness and appearance.
For more information:
Dane Capogreco
Capogreco Farms
T: +61 8 9733 2878
Email: dane@capogreco.com
www.capogreco.com