Forecast reduced after major weather event in New South Wales and Queensland
The Australian macadamia crop forecast has been revised down as a direct result of severe weather and flooding in key growing regions.
The forecast is now 49,340 tonnes in-shell at 3.5 per cent moisture (52,900 tonnes in-shell at 10 per cent moisture), down from the original figure of 54,930 tonnes in-shell at 3.5 per cent moisture (58,900 tonnes in-shell at 10 per cent moisture), according to the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS).
Growing regions affected by the severe weather in March include the Glass House Mountains and Gympie in Queensland, and the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales.
AMS chief executive Jolyon Burnett said New South Wales growers were impacted the hardest, with the prolonged rainfall that followed the two flooding events making harvest more difficult.
“Many growers in the Northern Rivers and Nambucca have still been not able to access their orchard to begin harvest,” said Burnett.
“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 grass is overgrown. There have also been fewer hot sunny days to dry everything out.”
Burnett said the weather conditions also impacted kernel recovery, reducing the availability of kernel into the market.
Australia’s largest macadamia producing region of Bundaberg, which accounts for around 46 per cent of Australia’s crop, was not impacted by the severe weather.
AMS will provide a further update on the Australian macadamia crop in September.
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