Australian macadamia production hits a record high for the year, with prices holding firm

For Australian macadamia (also known as “Australian nut”) growers, 2015 will be a year of bumper harvests, with national macadamia production reaching an all-time record. At present, the in-shell nut output at 10% moisture content is 48,300 tonnes (45,100 tonnes at 3.5% moisture content), up 10% from last year's total output.

ACB News “ACB News Online” reports that although macadamia quality varies across producing regions, Australian processors generally say that the overall quality of the 2015 national macadamia crop remained good. Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) Executive Director Jolyon Burnett attributed this season's high volume and excellent quality of Australian nuts to the natural conditions of suitable temperature and humidity across producing regions and a relatively long harvest season.
 

In 2015, Australian macadamia production finally broke the record; besides climatic factors, price factors also played an important role. Mr. Burnett pointed out that current macadamia market prices are relatively favorable, and the harvest season lasted until September. At the same time, spurred by firm prices, growers made greater efforts this season to maintain soil health and promote organic matter binding in order to increase production. To increase root volume and promote tree growth, producers also applied large amounts of filter mud and waste slag furnace ash.

Mr. Burnett pointed out that macadamia production in all producing regions nationwide remained at a high level. By region, nuts produced in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales accounted for as much as 50% of the national total output; Bundaberg in Queensland also performed well, with total output once again achieving substantial growth on the basis of the relatively high output in 2014, rising to 30% of Australia's total output; other new producing regions also performed well, for example the Emerald region of Queensland, where the total output of high-yielding Australian nuts was 1,000 tonnes, accounting for 2% of total output.

Public information from the Australian Macadamia Society shows that Australia is the world's third-largest macadamia producer, accounting for about 30% of total global market share, with export markets covering more than 40 countries. In Australia, commercial macadamia production began in 1974, and over 40 years it has developed and prospered from nothing; at present, the number of Australian macadamia growers exceeds 850, with annual production of about 40,000 tonnes of in-shell macadamia.

In recent years, as demand in the Chinese market for Australian in-shell nuts has continued to increase, the trade relationship between the Australian macadamia industry and the Chinese market has become closer; at present, Australia's total macadamia exports to China already account for nearly 1/4 of Australia's total output. In late November this year, in order to deeply expand the Chinese consumer market, Australian macadamia industry institutions invested one million Australian dollars to go to first-tier Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to carry out product promotion activities, aiming to capture China's high-end nut market.