WHAT’S all the buzz about macadamias?
Find out at the Australian Macadamia Industry Conference.
More than 300 delegates are lining up to attend the Australian macadamia industry’s premier event, the biennial industry conference, scheduled for October 18-20 at Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Attending the event will be a mix of existing growers, new and potential growers and investors and a large international contingent from China, Vietnam, Kenya, South Africa, United States, Ghana and New Zealand, all keen to learn more about what the future holds for the booming Australian macadamia industry.
The industry’s peak body, the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) is staging the conference, with support from platinum partner Horticulture Innovation Australia, and AMS CEO Jolyon Burnett says it’s a must-attend event because it’s such an exciting and optimistic time to be in the industry.
“Australian macadamias are one of the hottest investments in Australian agriculture right now,” Mr Burnett said.
“Strong prices, yield (we’re on track for a record crop this year), and global demand outweighing supply are matched by unprecedented levels of investment in productivity by growers.
“We’ve got new growing regions opening up, conversion from other crops to macadamias, substantial new plantings, and there are still so many more opportunities for individuals and investors to move into this industry.”
Mr. Burnett said Australia leads the world in the research and development and marketing of macadamias, and the international community is keen to learn from the world’s best.
“The long term prospects are good, there is huge potential for future growth (macadamias represent only currently 1 per cent of the tree nut market) and we are an export-focussed industry (70pc of our crop is sold in five markets),” he said.
To this end, the conference will feature some of the industry’s top experts talking about how they see the future of the industry unfolding, with topics focussing on International Macadamia Production Growth, The Orchard of the Future, A new Look at Investing in the Macadamia Industry and Chinese Investment in Australian Macadamias.
Finance journalist Alan Kohler will set the scene with his keynote address “Business and Industry Growth” and iconic Japanese brand Meiji Co Ltd is sending over its managing executive officer Kazuo Kishida to present “Innovation in the Consumer World for Macadamias”.
As well, insights will be gained from innovation in other industries (American pistachio and Australian almond) and there’ll be specific information sessions aimed at new and potential growers.
“The conference is about helping existing growers to understand what they can do to increase the value of their orchard and add value to their asset, and potential growers and investors to understand the opportunities that exist to convert modest assets into long term high growth assets,” Mr Burnett said.
The conference kicks off with a three-day international tour (from Bundaberg to the Sunshine Coast) taking in Australia’s best macadamia orchards and industry assets including processing facilities.
There’s a machinery day on a local Beerwah macadamia orchard (with demonstrations by more than 20 machinery and on-farm suppliers), two full days of conference sessions at the Events Centre, Caloundra, cocktail reception at the Queensland Air Museum and celebrity chef breakfast with Matt Golinski and Glen Barratt.
The conference is by far the biggest event on the macadamia industry calendar and connects representatives all the way along the supply chain – growers, processors, researchers, marketers, investors, trade representatives and international industry bodies.
Tickets are still available to the event and are available at the conference website: www.bit.ly/ausmac2016
- Copy supplied by the Australian Macadamia Society.
