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Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
MACADAMIA nuts exports have reached a five-year high record with eight million kilogrammes of the crop exported during the period January to September this year, the highest since 2020, as new trees come to maturity.
Statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that macadamia export shipments rose 62 percent from 4 709 715 in 2020 to 7 627 980 kilogrammes from January to September this year.
However, that impressive growth was in direct conflict to earnings, which fell 39 percent from US$13 720 240 in 2020 to the current US$8 349 824 due a 62 percent drop in price from US$2, 91 to US$1, 09 per kilogramme.
Export shipments also rose by 59 percent from 4 794 600 kilogrammes between January to September in 2023 to 7 627 980 in the comparable period this year.
In value terms, macadamia nut in shell export earnings rose by 33 percent from US$6 278 517 to US$8 349 824 due to a price decline. The average price took a 16 percent tumble from US$1, 31 to US$1, 09 per kilogramme.
Macadamia Producers Association of Zimbabwe (MPAZ) secretary general, Mr Fortune Gurai said the increase in export volumes was due to a combination of new plantings and tree maturity.
“Macadamia trees only start yielding fruit in their fifth year with the output continuing to increase yearly until they reach their maximum at around 12 years when the trees mature fully,” he said.
As long as there are new trees being planted every year there is bound to be an increase in yields until the trees reach bearing age when yield becomes constant from the 12th year, he explained.
Mr Gurai said new plants coming to maturity appear to be the chief contributors to the increase, as the 2023/24 season was affected by the El Nino-induced drought.
The local price of wet macadamia nut in shell was between US$0, 90 and US$1, 20 per kilogramme depending on quality against a production cost of around US$1, 50, he added.
Farmers are still awaiting feedback from the Government on their request for the setting of a ceiling price for their crop citing unfair practices from buyers over the past three years with prices dropping from US$3, 50 to the current US$0, 90 per kilogramme.
The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) September 2023 seasonal update revealed that yields for the 2023/24 season were estimated at 8 000 tonnes, a decrease occasioned by reduced inputs and the El Nino drought.
In the 2022/23 season, macadamia prices were at their lowest in 20 years. However, demand was expected to firm from this season onwards, read the report.
The HDC anticipates an investment of US$75 million in order to achieve their 2030 target macadamia hectarage of 5 000.
Such an investment will result in an annual production of 15 000 tonnes of macadamia and realise an export value of US$40 million annually as the horticulture sector strives to transform into a US$1 billion industry by 2030.
Commenting on low macadamia prices in the 2022/23 season, merchants said macadamia nut-in-shell prices were depressed owing to oversupply in Europe and the United States of America (USA) adding that the trend was expected to persist in 2024 before an expected resurgence in 2025.
Macadamia merchants have called on farmers to improve on quality of the fruit in order to capitalise on the expected price renaissance from 2025.
Online Reporter