Melons from Japan

We have completed a final report for fresh melons (Cucumis melo) from Japan risk analysis. We will now verify that Japan can meet the import conditions.

Risk analysis:

When we do a risk analysis, we:​​

• review the science on pests and diseases of concern
• assess and analyse biosecurity risks
• develop proposed risk management measures, if required
• consult the public on the draft report and then review comments
• publish the final report
• verify that the country can meet the recommended risk management measures
• develop import conditions
• publish import conditions in our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).

About the risk analysis

We initiated this risk analysis because Japan requested market access for fresh melons (Cucumis melo). The request covers all melon varieties except oriental melon (C. melo var. makuwa) and oriental pickling melon (C. melo var. utilissimus, syn. C. melo var. conomon). Learn more about why we carry out risk analyses and our international obligations.

We conducted this risk analysis as a review of biosecurity import requirements. This is because we conducted a preliminary assessment of the potential pests associated with melons from Japan and have found that:

• the pests of concern were the same as, or similar to, pests or pest groups we have previously assessed for other horticultural goods.
• there are appropriate risk management measures already established for these pests or pest groups.

Final report

We released the final report on 9 September 2025.

We determined that the importation of commercially produced fresh melons from Japan can be permitted, subject to certain biosecurity import requirements.

Pests

The final report identifies 4 pests associated with melons from Japan that require risk management measures to reduce the biosecurity risk to an acceptable level. These pests are:

• pumpkin fruit fly: Zeugodacus tau
• thrips: intonsa flower thrips (Frankliniella intonsa), western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and melon thrips (Thrips palmi).

Risk management measures

We recommend a range of measures to reduce the risk of these pests arriving in Australia via the fresh melon fruit pathway. These measures are:

• for pumpkin fruit fly:
  • pest free areas, pest free places of production or pest free production sites; or
  • fruit treatment considered to be effective against fruit flies
• for thrips:
  • pre-export visual inspection and, if found, remedial action.

Your feedback on the draft report and additional fruit fly consultation

We received submissions on the draft report from 5 stakeholders.

We also received 3 stakeholder submissions during an additional targeted consultation in July 2025. This consultation was prompted by a recent change in pest status of the fruit fly Zeugodacus tau in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. This change occurred after the draft report was published. In response, we conducted a pest risk analysis and sought feedback from state and territory governments and Melons Australia.

Where permission has been given, stakeholder submissions have been published below. We have made changes to the risk analysis following consideration of stakeholder comments and a subsequent review of literature. These changes include:

• amendments to Chapter 2, to clarify that:
  • ‘hats’ used to protect greenhouse-grown melon fruit from sun damage may be made from materials other than newspaper (section 2.4.2)
  • the description of melon production in the report represents current practices in Japan that are relevant to biosecurity. Additional steps may be required to meet Australian food safety standards (section 2.6.3).
• addition of a pest risk assessment for pumpkin fruit fly in Chapter 3 (section 3.4) and amendments to relevant sections of the report, following the Z. tau detection in Okinawa Prefecture.
• revision to the pest status assessment of western flower thrips (section 3.5). It is no longer assessed as a regional quarantine pest as it is now considered to be present in Australia and no longer under official control in the Northern Territory. It is still assessed as a regulated article for Australia.
• revisions to section 4.1.1 to better reflect the intended purpose of this section
• amendment to Pantoea ananatis (internal fruit rot) entry in Appendix B. The ‘Potential for importation’ has been edited for clarity in response to a stakeholder comment.
• update to virus species names in Appendix B of the final report to align with recent changes to virus nomenclature.
• addition of ‘Appendix C: Stakeholder comments’, which summarises the key technical issues raised by stakeholders, and how these issues have been considered in this final report.
• minor corrections, rewording, editorial changes and formatting updates for consistency, accuracy, clarity and web-accessibility.

Download submissions on the draft report and additional fruit fly consultation

Available until September 2026.

Download the supplementary response to submissions on the draft report

Some of the stakeholder submissions on the draft report included comments that were outside the scope of the report. Our response to these comments are provided in the supplementary response document below.

Available until September 2026.

Final report

Draft report

We released the draft report on 17 October 2024 for a 60-calendar day public consultation period, closing on 16 December 2024.

Available until September 2026.

Announcement

We announced the commencement of this risk analysis on 30 August 2023.

Trade

Australia-Japan trade

Japan is an important trading partner of Australia. Japan is Australia’s third largest trading partner, with two-way goods and services totalling $107.8 billion in 2024. Japan is also Australia’s third largest export market for agriculture, forestry and fisheries products; worth $5.9 billion in 2024.

Melon industry in Japan

In 2023 Japan produced 136,312 tonnes of melons. Melons are grown throughout the country.

Japan can produce melons year-round, though production volumes vary seasonally. They use a range of cultivation techniques, with different cultivars harvested in different seasons.

Most melons in Japan are consumed as fresh fruit in the domestic market, however fruit are also exported to Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and Hawaii.

Melon industry in Australia

The Australian melon industry is well established and consists of approximately 140 growers producing melons across around 8,500 hectares. Melons are grown across most states and territories within Australia. Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are the largest producers. Smaller volumes are produced in Victoria and South Australia.

In 2023-24 the Australian melon industry produced 62,776 tonnes of melons (rockmelons, honeydew melons and Piel de Sapo melons), valued at $100.8 million. Rockmelons, honeydew melons and Piel de Sapo melons accounted for 85%, 14% and 1% of this production, respectively.

Melons are available year-round in Australia, with the main production periods being: August to April for rockmelon, July to October for honeydew melon, and February to April for Piel de Sapo.

Melon imports

Australia currently allows imports of rockmelon and honeydew melon from European countries, New Zealand and the United States of America (except Hawaii), as well as imports of oriental melon and rockmelon from the Republic of Korea.

Between 2015 and 2023, Australia did not import any Cucumis melo from any country. Since trade with the Republic of Korea commenced in 2024, Australia has imported 14 tonnes of oriental melons.

Melon exports

In 2023-24, Australia exported 10,998 tonnes of melons, valued at $23 million. The top export markets were Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.

Proposed new food safety requirements for imported food

Separate to the import risk analysis for fresh melons from Japan, the department is proposing changes to the food safety requirements for imported foods, including melons.

Next steps

Before imports can commence, we will:

• verify that Japan can meet our specified import conditions
• publish import conditions on the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON)
• issue import permits to importers who meet the import conditions.

The decision to commence imports will be a commercial decision between an exporter in Japan and an importer in Australia. The importer must meet the import conditions as set out in BICON.

Keep informed

Register as a stakeholder

Subscribe to ‘Biosecurity Risk Analysis Plant’ via our online subscription service to receive Biosecurity Advices and other notifications relating to plant biosecurity policy.

Contact us

For more information, email imports@aff.gov.au or phone 1800 900 090 (when prompted select option 1, then option 1).