The severe weather and flooding in Australia have damaged the latest macadamia crop leading to a reduced forecast by the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS), which expects a 10% decline.

New South Wales and South East Queensland have been hit by heavy rainfalls recently, including the Glass House Mountains and Gympie in Queensland and New South Wales’s Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast regions.

NSW growers were impacted the hardest and the prolonged rainfall which followed two flooding events has made harvest more difficult.

“Many growers in the Northern Rivers and Nambucca have still been unable to access their orchard to begin harvest,” Burnett explains.

“It’s a critical time for these growers and there are uncertain and challenging times ahead. There is a lot of crop on the ground, but orchard floors are extremely wet and the grass is overgrown. There have also been fewer hot sunny days to dry everything out.”

Burnett adds that severe weather conditions have also impacted kernel recovery, which will affect their availability in the market.

The largest macadamia producing region of Bundaberg, which accounts for around 46% of Australia’s crop, was not impacted by the severe weather. Harvest is well underway in this region.Macadamias nutritional profile can help consumers meet dietary requirements with whole foods.

Other Queensland growing regions of Glass House Mountains and Gympie suffered some losses. However, Burnett said that across Queensland, generally, crop yield is up and quality is good.

Producing commercial crops
Macadamias are a sought-after nut with a nutritional profile that can also help consumers meet specific dietary requirements with whole foods.

They contain mono-unsaturated fats and are high in omega 3, 6 and 7. Macadamias are also rich in nutrients and dietary fiber, essential vitamins and minerals while being naturally low in sugar and carbohydrates.

Globally, there is expected to be a significant increase in macadamia supply as producers have been ramping up planting new trees recently. Worldwide production is expected to be pushed up over the next five years.

This increase in production is expected to lead to further popularity for the macadamia nut which includes the nuts being used more often as core ingredients in dairy alternatives. 

Macadamias are well-positioned for dairy alternatives due to their mild, buttery taste. They can be found in a range of new launches globally, including in milks, creamers, spreads, ice creams, smoothie mixes, nutritional powders and cheese.

A further updat on the Australian macadamia crop is expected in September.