Bundaberg macadamias on the rise

A major macadamia processor, marketer and exporter says the Bundaberg district in south-east Queensland will become Australia's biggest macadamia growing area by 2015.

Shane Johnson is general manager of Consolidated Nuts Australia, trading as Pacific Gold Macadamias, which is now the second largest processor in Australia.

He's expanded his processing plant north of Bundaberg and expects to process 5,500 tonnes of nut in shell this season, increasing to 15,000 tonnes in two years because of extra plantings and more suppliers.

Nuts are rolled down the line

The Bundaberg district produces about 25 per cent of the country's macadamias, while the NSW Northern Rivers region produces about 60 per cent.

But Mr Johnson says NSW production is slowing and even going backwards, while Queensland is going forward.

"It's mass plantings up here, we've got flat ground, bigger farms, good rainfall, plus we've got the irrigation (unlike NSW)."

Mr Johnson said the January floods cut local production by about 10 per cent, but forecasts had predicted a bumper crop anyway.

He's processing nuts from as far away as Mackay and the Glasshouse Mountains for the first time.

China's flagged interest in macadamia production is seen as a threat to the industry, but Mr Johnson says it's mostly for domestic supply and isn't as concerning as another issue.

"Probably the biggest threat around at the moment is Chinese buyers coming over and buying nut in shell direct off the growers."

Gallery: From truck to box: see the macadamia supply chain

Source: ABC News, 13 June 2013