Macadamia producer to invest millions in new processing facility

24th July 2017

By: Anine Kilian

Contributing Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Macadamia nut processing company Green Farms Nut Company (GFNC) has started construction to expand its macadamia nut processing facility, in White River, Mpumalanga, with Phase 1 set for completion in 2018.

According to the Southern African Macadamia Growers Association (Samac), new macadamia tree plantings in South Africa have tripled in the last four years from 1 250 ha in 2013 to 3 870 ha in 2016, with an almost doubling of plantings between 2015 and 2016 from 2 000 ha to 3 870 ha.

Currently, there are 28 000 ha of established macadamia orchards, with the largest growing region being Mpumalanga, followed by Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.
 
“We are invested for the long run. We will cultivate our business alongside growth in the crop. Based on historic and ongoing exponential plantings, our view is that it is imperative to increase processing capacity to ensure long-term viability for the industry and our farmers,” GFNC GM Alex Whyte said.
 
He noted that industry figures project a 40% increase of nut in-shell from 38 500 t in 2016 to 64 800 t in 2020.

“To absorb this astronomic supply increase, our approach rests on three key pillars: processing capacity, sophisticated product marketing and value add, all of which are inextricably linked to being able to sell at currently buoyant prices in future,” he said.
 
Phase 1 of the expansion project will see the factory size increase by an additional 7 000 m2 from current its 3 000 m2 and result in a 40% increase in processing capacity from 5 500 t to 8 000 t dry nut in-shell and an additional 250 t drying bin storage capability.

Completion of Phase 2 of the project is set for 2020, with key components including increasing processing capacity upwards of 15 000 t dry nut in-shell, further technology and equipment upgrades, as well as increased storage and warehousing.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

The functionality you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION