Booming demand for macadamias is transforming farmland in eastern South Africa, as landowners switch focus from bananas and sugar cane to the creamy nuts used in sweet treats, from ice cream to biscuits.

First introduced in South Africa in the 1960s, evergreen macadamia nut trees are grown on farms across the Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, with about 2 000 ha being added every year.

The country, which vies with Australia as the top grower and exporter, produced about 28% of the world’s total output in 2015, according to data from the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC).

“The macadamia story is a beautiful one,” said Richard Mattison, one of the biggest private growers in South Africa, who has about 600 ha of the trees on his farm near Port Edward, south of the coastal city of Durban.

“In 2009, we got about R5 a kilogram of nuts. Now we’re getting between R110 and R120.”

Estimated global consumption of macadamia nut kernels surged 59% between 2010 and 2014, according to INC data. Yet the nuts, which are either sold in their shiny, brown shells or processed to extract a round kernel, only account for about 1% of global tree nut production, with almonds, cashews and walnuts leading the rankings.

South Africa’s output is likely to more than double by 2020, according to Alex Whyte, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa sales at the Green Farms Nut Company, which processes about 25% of the domestic crop. The country may harvest as much as 45 000 t of nuts this year, according to the Southern African Macadamia Growers Association.

About 95% of production is exported, with China, the US and Canada among the biggest buyers. South Africa was the top exporter of shelled macadamias in 2014, according to INC data.

Besides the expansion in planting – farmers added 7.5-million new trees last year – yields are also improving as growing techniques improve. “From extracting between two to three tons a hectare, we’re now getting between six and seven tons,” said Mattison.

Sub-Tropical
Production of top-quality nuts in the sub- tropical coastal region of KwaZulu-Natal is expanding faster than in any other place in the world, according to Andrew Sheard, technical manager for Mayo Macadamias, which processes and markets the nuts.

Macadamia nut trees intercrop well with bananas, making their cultivation a “no-brainer,” he said. “An established banana plantation provides the perfect microclimate for a macadamia sapling.”

William Davidson, who farms in Umfolozi, about 220 km north-east of Durban, is among those cashing in on the macadamia boom. He has about 60 ha of the trees under cultivation, in addition to crops of sugar cane, timber and bananas, and plans to plant another 140 ha by October.

“It’s all about splitting the risk and diversifying with a crop that the market can’t get enough of,” Davidson said.