Australian macadamia growers have produced a crop of 46,900 tonnes in-shell at 3.5 per cent moisture (50,300 tonnes in-shell at 10 per cent moisture) over the 2020 season.
Announcing the result this morning (10 December), the industry’s peak body, the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS), said the crop volume bettered the season’s original forecast, which had considered the potentially harsh impacts of the 2019 drought.
“Overall, Australian macadamia orchards weathered the drought conditions well, nut quality is very good and more whole kernel has been produced this year,” said AMS chief executive Jolyon Burnett.
“Macadamia trees are native to Australia and have proven this year how naturally resilient they are in volatile weather conditions.”
Burnett said sustained investment by growers in orchard floor management, which is integral to managing soil moisture, helped to maintain trees during the drought.
Also contributing to the higher crop were a significant number of new macadamia plantings in the Clarence Valley (New South Wales) and Bundaberg (Queensland) regions, which came into bearing this season
“The high value of the crop has ensured Australian growers have gathered every last nut from their orchards, which has increased the tail end of the harvest,” said Burnett.
The 2020 crop report is based on actual factory receipts of the Australian Macadamia Handlers Association (AMHA) until the end of November.
