Can demand maintain pace with increased plantings?

Australian macadamia production will double by 2025 to 400,000 tonnes a year and will repeat that feat five years later to sit at 600,000 tonnes by 2030, based on trees now in the ground with more being planted. "Normally such an increase in supply would seem scary (from a marketing point of view) and while we are alert we are not alarmed," says Australian Macadamia Association CEO Jolyon Burnett. In fact macadamias account for only 1pc of the world trade in tree nuts which is growing at a rate of 7pc a year. A production increase here and abroad will serve to propel the once boutique industry into a commodity that can be relied upon by the food ingredients sector. Almonds are an interesting comparison with 1.3 billion tonnes produced around the world, 65 per cent of which are used as ingredients and the rest as snack. The situation with macadamias is reversed, with just 30pc used in products like muesli bars and dairy substitutes. This sector has room for growth. Of the remaining ...