Master plan for macadamia industry to be issued at year-end

Photo: thoibaonganhang.vn

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will release a master plan for the development of the macadamia industry by the end of this year.

MARD Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan revealed the intention at a June 4 conference on the development orientations for macadamia, a plant indigenous to Australia which is dubbed the “Queen of Nuts”.

He noted that the master plan for the macadamia industry is different from one designed for cultivation expansion, explaining that the industry plan should also forecast the market for the products.

The plan will also map out synchronous solutions from preservation, processing to marketing to help prevent risks and losses for farmers and investors, he said.

The deputy minister stressed that sustainable production requires proper investment in post-harvest preservation and processing, ensuring the quality of nuts meets international standards.

He cited the lesson of South Africa, which produces the same volume of macadamia as Australia but earns just one half due to poor harvesting, preserving and processing technology.

According to the CEO of the Australian Macadamia Society, Jolyon Brunett, macadamia nut supply is expected to grow rapidly in the next five years, as South Africa will double its output to 80,000 tonnes, while China hopes to produce 50,000 tonnes and Australia will turn out 55,000 tonnes.

He pointed out that in such context, besides the matter of prices, market development will be very important to macadamia producing countries.

Participants at the conference focused their discussions on technical, planning and marketing solutions with a view to minimize risks for farmers and businesses when invest in the plant.

Well-known for its nutritional value and high concentration of mono-unsaturated fats, macadamia was introduced to Vietnam in 2002 for trial cultivation in several Central Highlands provinces, including Lam Dong, Dak Nong and Dak Lak.

After more than a decade under trial farming, it was found that Vietnam produced a higher yield of macadamias than other countries.

Local scientists have tested and found that the northwestern and Central Highlands regions have conditions best suited for the plant's growth.

The plant has so far covered over 2,000ha in the Central Highlands.

Source: VNA