News

The Australian macadamia industry continues to grow, with the latest Australian Tree Crop Map identifying 47,659 hectares of mapped macadamia orchards, representing more than 15 million trees nationwide.

That's an increase of more than 2,200 hectares (5%) over the past year. The analysis also shows more than 38,500 hectares (81%) are now of bearing age, while almost 9,000 hectares remain in younger orchards that will contribute to future production.

Accurate mapping is becoming increasingly important as Australia's macadamia industry grows and changes. It helps build a clearer understanding of where orchards are located, their age profile and future production capacity, supporting better decision-making by growers, industry and researchers.

While the national figures tell one story, the regional data provides an even richer picture of how Australia's macadamia industry continues to evolve.

Did you know?

• Australia's mapped macadamia footprint has now reached 47,659 hectares.
• More than 38,500 hectares are now bearing.
• The industry has grown by 5% in the past year and has doubled in size over the past decade.

Regional growth patterns continue to evolve

Bundaberg remains Australia's largest growing region, now exceeding 20,000 hectares and accounting for 44% of all mapped macadamia orchards. The region also recorded the largest increase during the past year, with almost 2,000 hectares of additional orchard area identified through mapping updates.

Further north, Tropical Queensland continued its rapid expansion, growing by 17% and adding more than 400 hectares during the year. Maryborough also recorded steady growth, adding almost 100 hectares.

Queensland now accounts for around 65% of Australia's mapped macadamia area, while New South Wales represents 35%, highlighting the different scale and structure of Australia's production regions.

Looking beyond net growth

One of the most valuable insights from this year's analysis is the ability to look beyond overall area growth and examine where orchards are being added and removed.

AMS worked with the mapping team to quantify both additions and removals, helping build a more complete picture of industry trends.

The Northern Rivers provides a good example. At first glance, the region's total planted area appears largely unchanged. However, detailed analysis shows 408 hectares of new orchard area identified alongside 496 hectares of orchard removals during the past year. While the region appears stable overall, significant change is occurring as orchards are planted, redeveloped or removed.

The graphic above shows mapped additions and removals by region. As with all mapping updates, these figures represent changes identified through the mapping process during the past 12 months. Some orchard establishment or removal activity may have occurred earlier, becoming visible only through the latest imagery.

🌳 Help build the industry's most accurate orchard map

Every orchard contributes to a better understanding of Australia's macadamia industry.

By providing your orchard information, you'll help improve:

• Crop forecasting
• Industry planning
• Research and development
• Biosecurity and emergency response
• Understanding of regional production trends and future bearing capacity

The more complete the industry's mapping data, the better equipped growers, researchers and industry organisations are to make informed decisions that benefit the entire Australian macadamia industry.

As a thank you, participating growers can also request a cultivar map of their own orchard for planning and record keeping.

Getting involved is easy

Scan the QR code below or click here to complete the short survey.

Once you've registered your interest, the AMS team will work with you to gather any mapping information needed and guide you through the process.

Growers can provide a farm map, screenshot or KML file showing block boundaries, along with information such as planting year, cultivar and spacing. Even partial information is valuable, and the AMS team can help fill in any gaps.

Your information remains confidential

We know growers often ask about privacy.

All block-level information provided to AMS is treated confidentially and is never made publicly available. Individual orchard details are never published or shared without permission, and industry reporting uses aggregated, de-identified data only.

If you'd like to discuss the program or need assistance preparing your information, please contact Emma Long on 0474 823 497 or [email protected].

Thank you for helping build a stronger, more informed Australian macadamia industry.

The AMS Team