Bundaberg macadamia harvest underway, other crops impacted by February 2022 flood

Flooding has significantly impacted macadamia producers across south east Queensland and NSW, but the harvest is well underway in one city which was spared the devastation of the February 2022 event.

The Australian macadamia crop forecast has been reduced by 10 per cent because of the severe weather and flooding in NSW and south east Queensland in 2022, the Australian Macadamia Society said on Tuesday.

The forecast is now 49,340 tonnes in-shell, down from the original figure of 54,930 tonnes in-shell.

The Society said in a statement growing regions impacted include Glass House Mountains and Gympie, and the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast regions of NSW.

Society CEO Jolyon Burnett said NSW growers were impacted the hardest, and the prolonged rainfall which followed the two flooding events had made harvest more difficult.

“Many growers in the Northern Rivers and Nambucca have still been not able to access their orchard to begin harvest,” Mr Burnett said.

“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.

“The severe weather conditions have also impacted kernel recovery and this will impact the availability of kernel into the market.”

Bundaberg is Australia’s largest macadamia producing region, accounting for about 46 per cent of the national crop, and was spared the severe weather.

It comes as the city famous for its rum continues to make a name for itself as a macadamia capital with major expansions to local businesses including the recently opened Macadamias Australia $25 million nut cracking facility.

Another local macadamia processing facility could increase throughput from more than 10,000 to 30,000 tonnes if a development application made to council is approved.

The application submitted on behalf of Marquis Macadamias Limited outlines how the company is seeking a development permit for a boundary realignment and material change of use for high impact industry over land on Rosedale Rd at Oakwood.

Harvest is well underway in this region.

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