AUSTRALIA’S macadamia industry is being brought to its knees as unprecedented market conditions result in the lowest farm gate prices in more than a decade.
Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) CEO Clare Hamilton-Bate said growers were facing a difficult year primarily due to the combination of reduced global demand and a rapidly increasing global supply.
“Overall the crop quality is very good and reject levels are down, however nut size is smaller and there has been a decrease in total kernel recovery,” she said.
The AMS’s 2023 Australian macadamia crop forecast was revised down by 11 percent from 60,000 tonnes in-shell to 53,160 tonnes in-shell, and at 3.5 percent moisture from 64,400 to 57,000 tonnes in-shell at 10 percent moisture.
“Several factors converged to create this forecast, these include variable seasonal conditions and weather events as well as cost rationalisation and prudent economic decision making by growers,” she said.
“Kernel supply will also be impacted because an increased amount of crop is being sold to the nut-in-shell market.”
The country’s largest processing co-operative Marquis has been adjusting its forecasts downwards as it works with supplying shareholders who are facing ‘difficult conditions’.
“It seems that the size of the 2023 crop may not meet our initial estimates,” Marquis Macadamias CEO Ben Adams said.
“We have been closely monitoring the deliveries, and based on the data, we are now adjusting our forecasts downward.
“As expected, lower Nut-in-Shell [NIS] volumes and a decrease in the Saleable Kernel Recovery [SKR] percentage will ultimately impact the total kernel production.”He said Marquis recognised the situations urgency and were working to overcome the challenges as soon as possible.
“As we all know, these issues extend beyond our organisation and are part of a broader industry issue with global implications,” he said.
“Resolving these issues will take time, and we are committed to finding sustainable solutions.”
The crop forecast will be reviewed again in September and the final figure for the 2023 Australian macadamia crop will be announced by the AMS in early December.

SCENIC RIM GROWER’S INVESTMENT PAYING OFF