The Australian Macadamia Society represents the biosecurity interests of macadamia producers and the industry. They are members of Plant Health Australia and signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Their responsibilities include:
- biosecurity planning and implementation at the national and farm levels
- liaising with federal and state governments on trade issues
- funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives
- participating in national committees and response efforts in an emergency.
Industry overview
Approximately 75 per cent of the crop is exported to Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other Asian countries as kernel and to China in-shell. Australia, South Africa and Kenya are currently the world’s largest producers of macadamia. China, United States, the rest of Africa and South America are also significant producers. There are now approximately 800 macadamia growers with 33,000 hectares of crop under planting in Australia. The majority of plantings are varieties of Macadamia integrifolia. Of these, about 75 per cent are Hawaiian varieties, with the remainder being Australian. Five new Australian-bred varieties have been released in the last few years including MCT1, a small precocious and high yielding variety that is proving very popular. Harvest commences in March and runs through to August.
Macadamias are grown along the eastern seaboard of New South Wales and Queensland, from Port Macquarie in the south through to the Atherton Tablelands in the north. Collectively Bundaberg and the Northern Rivers region produce more than 80 per cent of the Australian crop. Production is growing fastest in Bundaberg in Queensland and the Clarence Valley in New South Wales. New plantings are also being developed in Mackay and Maryborough in Queensland and in the Richmond and Clarence Valleys in New South Wales.
Approximately 70 per cent of orchards employ professional pest scouts. The Australian Macadamia Society convenes a forum where pest pressures for the previous season are reviewed and any new pest and disease sightings reported. A number of integrated pest and disease management related research projects are being funded through Hort Innovation, and the society recently distributed over 500 farm biosecurity signs to macadamia growers.
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