LATEST ARTICLES
Cross-pollination, inoculated earthworms, key to outsized nuts and profits
Increasing earthworm microbial activity in the soil has the potential to position South Africa’s macadamia farmers as consistent producers of premium outsized nuts able to reach top prices on world markets. Justice Malanot, who heads up the Bigger Nut Consortium,...
Artificial intelligence beats fires in KZN
“Every single farm worker in this province is a fire-fighter. That means training on how to fight a fire and the supply of proper personal protection equipment is vital on all of our farms, particularly sugarcane farms.” Terry Tedder KZN FPA OPCO Chairman With vast...
Cracked joke puts mac machine maker on road to success
Pictured Above: Lehanna Louw, who is in charge of media and marketing at The Nut Machine Company shop in the centre of Oudtshoorn, with some of the delicious macadamia goodies on sale. “I am a go-getter. My aim is to be on top of everything and one step ahead.” -...
South Africa’s mac sector urged to cement marketing strategy
Pictured Above: Discussing markets at the recent SAMAC industry day are, from left, Shane Hartman, CEO of Global Macadamias; Mike Benjamin, CEO of Golden Macadamias; PJ Venter, Director of Mayo Macs; Jillian Laing, CEO of the World Macadamia Organisation; Alex Whyte,...
Letter From the Editor
As 2024 draws to a close we reflect on what has been a difficult year. The knock-on effect of the 2022 macadamia price crash on industry-wide spend forced The Macadamia to cut back on its usual four editions to just three for the year. Regardless, these editions have...
Demystifying the voluntary carbon market for farmers
Agriculture holds a unique double opportunity to reverse adverse climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing carbon from the atmosphere. By adopting more sustainable farming practices, farmers can increase their profitability and significantly...
Boost your Beaumonts: the power of cross-pollination
The Beaumont macadamia cultivar offers the advantage of high yields during "on" years. However, it does have some limitations, such as lower kernel recovery and generally lower prices compared to cultivars like 816 and A4. Additionally, in "off" years, the decline in...
SA heads for a healthier nut and zero-residue
Pictured above:Scouting is an important tool in biological controls in the macadamia orchard, helping farmers to better understand pest behaviour. Thanks to more sustainable solutions for pest control, an improved regulatory environment and a growing body of...
Off-label use of phosphonates illegal, warn experts
Although phosphorous acids/phosphites (H3PO3) are registered in South Africa for the control of Phytophthora nicotianae and Phytophthora citrophthora in citrus, and Phytophthora. Cinnamomi in avocado crops, the compound is not approved for use in macadamia orchards....
Mac crop disappoints as processors balance infrastructure growth
South Africa’s macadamia processors are driving growth while farmers deliver a lower-than-expected harvest on the back of extreme heat during peak flowering in 2023. The industry’s representative body, SAMAC, has released its latest crop estimates which represent a...
Letter From the Editor – The Macadamia Winter Edition 2024
It’s anecdotal, I know. But sometimes a story can help paint truth in such a way it makes it easier for us to see it and therefore to believe it. Long-standing SA Canegrowers board member Dave Littley and the head of Technology and Innovation at the organisation, Andy...
AmberMacs’ expo goes from strength to strength
Pictured above: Lize Roets, Joy Gulle, Lindria Lategan provided creamy samples of Giraf Macadamia Milk. AmberMacs hosted their third Macadamia Expo this year with the event growing from strength to strength. Held from 8 to 9 February in White River, Mpumalanga, the...
Real-time e-commerce platform could revolutionise mac trade
Mpumalanga macadamia farmer Cobus Kok has launched a Macadamia Services Management (MSM) platform that he says will revolutionise the nut trade by providing real-time and accurate data for improved marketing and sales decisions by registered users. The platform is...
Rolls Royce macadamia plan for KZN small-scale growers
Pictured Above: Siphelele Vumisa on his farm in the deep rural area of Macambini on the northern KwaZulu-Natal coast. When Covid-19 resulted in the lockdown of the world’s economies, young mechanical engineer Siphelele Vumisa began realising his dream to plant...
MSM ADDRESS BURNING MACADAMIA QUESTIONS
In the rapidly evolving landscape of macadamia trade, the presence of sudden supply surges looms large, presenting both challenges and opportunities for stakeholders across the value chain. Cobus Kok, MD of Macadamia Sales Market (MSM), underscores the critical...
Simplifying irrigation design through digital innovation
It is not every day that you implement a new irrigation system, but everyday technology and options for optimal irrigation evolve to suit the changing needs of climate, farmers, and consumers alike. Rivulis knows this, and how to make sure irrigation professionals are...
Sector should brace itself for tumultuous times
Pictured Above: Marlene Louw, senior agricultural economist at the Absa Group As the world teeters on the brink of World War III and foreign policy tensions between South Africa and the United States add impetus to worsening trade relations between the two countries,...
MSM Macadamia Trading Platform and market access: everyone in the know – at last!
Nelspruit Mpumalanga, South Africa - In a groundbreaking move set to redefine the macadamia nut trading arena, the MSM platform offers a seamless digital marketplace for buyers and sellers Worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to quality, transparency, and...
Perfect invader – a real and imminent threat to mac orchards
Pictured Above: In pear orchards in the Western Cape, Matthew Addison is leading research into the shot hole borer. Scientists warn that the deadly polyphagous shot hole borer beetle has the potential to decimate the country’s indigenous and agriculture tree...
Letter From The Editor: Summer Edition 2024
Thousands of farmers from Delhi to Paris and Athens have taken their tractors and in some instances their livestock, to the streets in protest. They say bureaucracy and overbearing government regulations, particularly linked to climate change, are putting them out of...
Aussie mac tree management under trial in southern KZN orchard
Pictured Above: In this orchard of 788s one line was selected as a trial. Every second tree was cut back post-harvest. Some trees will be left as 788s to rejuvenate them, to see how long they will take to come back into production. The remainder of the 788s that were...
HOW TO REDUCE ELECTRICAL USAGE AND COMBAT RISING OPERATING COSTS
Founder and director at DryMac, Adrian Padt spells out the impact of soaring energy costs on the macadamia sector while at the same time offers some practical solutions for farmers to cut down on their energy bills. Following articles in previous editions of The...
HOW TO SAVE MONEY TO MITIGATE THE ESKOM PRICE HIKES IN SIX STEPS
1: OPTIMISE sizes of your electrical and mechanical equipment First and foremost, this has a direct impact on line charges. It is also of utmost importance that all electrical and mechanical machinery, as well as fans, need to be accurately specified. I often walk...
Outyielding the downturn
Experts are urging macadamia farmers to bring their orchards up to standard in expectation of better times to come, to look beyond the prevailing conditions, and to use the current downturn in the sector as an opportunity to secure future stability. In a panel...
Prepare for a hotter summer, mac farmers warned
Pictured Above: An irrigation strategy that takes the weather forecast into account should be developed to guard against tree stress during hotter days. Experts agree that while El Niño is expected to make landfall in South Africa mid-summer, if macadamia farmers...
