AUSTRALIAN melon production experienced its second consecutive year of reduced production volumes.
That said, the value of melons increased.
According to the 2022/23 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook, fresh melon production was 7 per cent down year-on-year in 2023, at 226,022 tonnes.
In 2022 it dropped by 8pc. The recent figures are a significant fall from 2021 when 262,393t was produced.
Though volume was down since 2021, the monetary value melons had lifted to $248.2 million.
Of total production, 6pc (12,809t) went to the fresh export market worth $28.5m.
This was 1pc down in terms of volume on the previous year but still 4pc up in value.
Export volumes have seen a drop since the high of 2019/20 where 21,772t went off shore, with the past three years all hovering around that 12,000t mark.
From that total production, 1pc went to processing leaving 93pc to the fresh supply market, worth $263.2m.
That fresh supply was then split, with 82pc going to retail, worth $214.8m and 18pc then going to food service, worth $48.4m.
That supply to food service took a considerable hit in the past 12 months, down 10pc on the previous year to 37,906t.
The handbook drilled down into the figures, showing 50pc of households purchased a melon in the 2022/23 period, with 8kg per person of fresh supply available to the Australian population, on a per capita basis.
The handbook did not provide a production area for melons.
Muskmelons enjoy healthy domestic lift
ROCKMELONS and honeydew melons have enjoyed a domestic lift in both value and production in the past financial year.
The Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2022/23 lists some positive growth for the muskmelon sector on various fronts.
Production for 2023 was up 4 per cent to 60,299 tonnes, while the production value kicked up 11pc, making the sector worth $89.9 million.
Fresh supply domestically saw its value increase 15pc to $85.9m and retail supply also went up 15pc to a wholesale value of $67.8m.
Rounding out the major domestic markets was the food service industry which also recorded 15pc growth in value, coming in at $18.1m.
The blip on the radar however was exports with fresh volumes down 4pc to 9912t, equating to a value of $19.7m.
Of the total fresh melon production, 81pc went to the domestic fresh market, 16pc went to export and just 2pc went to processing.
The handbook said 34pc of Australian households purchased muskmelons, buying an average of 1.38kg per shopping trip.
Queensland remains the largest producer of muskmelons with 38pc of overall production, followed by New South Wales with 32pc, Western Australia with 14, the Northern Territory with 11pc, Victoria with 3pc and South Australia with 2pc.
Rockmelons accounted for 85pc of production, honeydew melons accounted for 14pc and other muskmelon varieties include the newly introduced Piel de Sapo variety, accounted for 1pc.
Watermelon exports soar
WATERMELONS have enjoyed a second consecutive year of substantial growth in export value.
Watermelon exports jumped 27 per cent in value to be worth $8.8 million in the past financial year.
It leapt by the same percentage in the financial year prior, scooting up to $6.9m.
The positive figures were the highlight within the watermelon stats of the 2022/23 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook released in February from Hort Innovation, with figures compiled by Freshlogic.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the largest receiver of Aussie watermelons by far, taking 53pc of the Australian offering (1530t) last financial year, followed by New Zealand (795t), Qatar (319t), Japan (319t) and New Caledonia (65t).
The soaring value of watermelon exports comes despite export volumes being a long way back from the high numbers between 2018 and 2020.
In the 2018/19 financial year, growers exported 7312t and 6885t the next year.
The 2022/23 data shows just 2897t was sent offshore.
Total watermelon production came to 165,723t for 2022/23, worth $158.3m. Of that, only 2pc was exported with 97pc going to fresh domestic supply and 1pc to processing.
Retailers absorbed the majority of the fresh stock taking 83pc, worth $147m, and 17pc going to food service, worth $30.3m.
The retail supply figures dipped from the previous year, down 15pc in tonnage and dropping 11pc in value.
The year prior, the food service wholesale value actually lifted by 15pc.
Queensland produces the most watermelons with 34pc, with New South Wales growing 32pc, Western Australia with 14pc, the Northern Territory with 11pc, Victoria with 6pc and South Australia with 3pc.
Investing in the future
THE Australian melon industry continues to look to better its future with more than $1.428 million invested into research and development from the Hort Innovation Melon Fund in 2022/23.
According to the Hort Innovation Fund Annual Report 2022/23, $678,065 in levies were collected by the government and passed on to Hort Innovation for investment.
The R&D levy (.3c/kg) is payable on melons produced in Australia and either sold by the producer or used by the producer in the production of other goods.
The Melon Strategic Investment Plan 2022-26 provides a roadmap to guide Hort Innovation's investment of melon industry levies and Australian Government contributions, with an aim to ensure investment decisions are aligned with industry priorities.