FAQ Macadamia Growing

Is macadamia suitable for my area? 

  Crop suitability is a technical issue, we recommend seeking specialist agronomic advice if you are considering planting a macadamia farm. This will ensure you make the right, well informed decisions. Macadamia generally perform best in higher altitude areas 900-1,400m with well distributed rainfall of over 1000 mm. Particularly escarpment areas offer the best rainfed growing conditions with cool night temperatures combined with good rainfall. Macadamia is not established at lower altitudes largely due to temperature hence the lake shore, shire valley are considered unsuitable. Irrigation can be used to mitigate rainfall deficiencies in some cases at higher altitudes. We recognize each farm is unique, please use the above as broad advice only.

Is macadamia growing easy?

The short answer is no, it is a difficult crop to grow well and meet the tight quality standards required to access export processors. You will need to actively manage nutrition and pest challenges to achieve potential yields and allocate farm resources to the inputs to achieve this.

Macadamia is a high value quality driven crop, as such how it is handled post-harvest is critical to preserving and enhancing its value . Harvest, drying, sorting and storage require investment to create a viable and profitable macadamia agribusiness.

Macadamia growing requires skills and knowledge to be successful 

Can I make lots of money from macadamia?

Macadamia is a commercially viable crop in Malawi with an established industry, sound reputation. The value of your farm’s production is dictated by its quality and the yield you achieve by the production system and location of the farm.

If the yield is low and the quality poor it is very unlikely that your farm will be profitable. 

Where can I buy Macadamia Seedlings?

Grafted macadamia seedlings are essential for any new farm. Nursery production is specialist and the quality of seedlings has a major impact on the success and speed of establishment. In Malawi there are a number of commercial nurseries associated with farms or as stand alone businesses. 

Macadamia seedlings are in high demand and you are likely going to need to reserve/ order seedlings well in advance of planting. We recommend identifying a nursery at least a year before you intend to plant.

When selecting a nursery you need to consider selecting a suitable mix of clones, ideally from a nursery in your area which can advise on what performs well and reduce costs/ risks associated with transport

How do I get started in Macadamia farming?

One of the best ways to get started is to talk to other growers, there is some good material available freely online which can provide you with a better idea of the production system required.

Where and how  can I sell my macadamia nuts?

There are 6 processors in Malawi of which some are able to buy nut from 3rd parties for processing. To sell macadamia NIS to an export factory it will need to meet the specifications of the factory. Below is a list to provide you with an idea of what you will need to do to be able to access the export market:

• Moisture content under 10%
• A sellable/ sound Kernel of over 20%
• A reject level of under 8%
• Consignment size, there may be a minimum consignment size
• Season, factories my only have the capacity to process your nut in small windows during the season.
• Defects removed through sorting and grading
• Dehusked 

Different processors will have different requirements and they change over time. Please contact the individual processors for more information. 

When can I expect to get the first harvest?

Macadamia trees, unlike seasonal crops like soybeans and groundnuts, begin to set fruit at six or seven years old. Because of this, the crop requires not only patience but patient-capital; however, inter cropping is possible with compatible crops which can be recommended by an agronomist. By the age of 10 or so, it reaches maturity and produces between 10 to 20 kgs annually. 

As with all tree crops seasons yield in influenced by a wide range of climatic and production system factors. As a result yield is variable by +/- 30%.