Shizuoka’s Premium Melons Hit Aussie Mart

(2nd para should have read “… vine …,” and 4th para “… batches …,” instead of as sent) Sydney, March 30 (Jiji Press)–High-end muskmelons produced in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture have started hitting the Australian market amid growing interest in Japanese food culture in the Oceanian country. The Shizuoka Crown Melon, grown chiefly in the cities of Fukuroi and Hamamatsu, boasts a high sugar content and rich aroma compared with other varieties because only the best-quality fruit is selected and grown per vine. Standard-quality products trade at around 10,000 yen each while the top-grade ones are sold for 30,000 yen and higher. The greenhouse melons, available for shipment throughout the year, have already been consumed in the Hong Kong, Singapore and U.S. markets, among others. The premium melon brand successfully made its first foray into Australia in late February after meeting the major farming nation’s stringent quarantine requirements for fruit imports. The first batches of imported crown melons were delivered to local restaurants. Trade between Japan and Australia is now tariff-free thanks to their accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. The Shizuoka Crown Melon is also expected to take advantage of already high demand for high-quality wagyu beef and sake imported from Japan and of growth in the number of Australians who visit the East Asian country and explore its food culture thanks to the yen’s depreciation, analysts said. Melons are also produced in Australia, as an inexpensive, common food item like watermelons. “As we’re targeting demand for parties and gifts, our melons will not compete against local produce,” said Yosuke Suzuki, a senior official at Shizuoka Prefecture Greenhouse Agricultural Cooperative Crown Melon Branch, which aims to ship around 3,000 melons a year to Australia. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]