RESETTING an orchard immediately after the final harvest has been part of the successful game plan for Macadamia Farm Management.
The business was one of the major winners in the 2021 Australian Macadamia Society Awards of Excellence announced on November 22.
The Bundaberg-based business with farms in various locations won the best productivity award (small farms) for central Queensland, the best productivity award (large farms) for the Gympie region, and the best quality award (large farms) for the Gympie region.
Macadamia Farm Management general manager Andrew Cole said it was always appreciated to receive the recognition of industry peers.
"Production is always at the forefront of what we do, everything from our composting to our fertiliser applications to our water to our pruning and cultural practices, it's all about how much saleable kernel per hectare can we get," Mr Cole said.
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He said making moves as soon as trees are harvested made a difference.
"Timing is something I believe is unrecognised," Mr Cole said.
"Just getting into your post harvest clean-up and resetting that crop nice and early has definitely been a big step forward in what we have been doing."
That's something the business has learnt along the way.
"We are shaking trees these days to finish off our crop quicker, using ethrel to bring down the nuts quicker, and getting the nuts off the ground, with the trees then mulched, pruned and profiled as quick as possible," he said.
"We are always looking to improve what we do. That's what everyone is doing I believe as that's the only way forward, so we're always looking at new and better ways of doing things."
Mr Cole said the Macadamia Farm Management farms had received between 100mm to 400mm in the past three to four weeks which was great timing especially for planter trees.
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