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Edgar Vhera

Agriculture Specialist Writer

MACADAMIA exports have raked in over US$4 million in the first half of the year marking a 21 percent surge from the US$3 million realised during the comparable period last year but farmers feel prices fell short of achieving a break-even.

Macadamia Producers Association of Zimbabwe (MPAZ) chairman, Mr Alex Mutasa said though this marketing season the local selling price improved, it was still below the break-even price.

“This marketing season the price of macadamia has slightly improved by about US$0, 50 from last year’s very low price of around US$0, 80 to US$1, 20 per kilogramme. While we welcome the increase its still falls short of the break-even price,” he said.

The macadamia season ended and farmers are busy preparing for the next season.

Mr Mutasa said they were in the midst of compiling statistics to ascertain this year’s production.

The recently released statistics by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that macadamia nut in shell export earnings rose from US$3 425 151 to US$4 153 038.

In volume terms, macadamia shipments surged 59 percent from 2 829 040 to 4 495 580 kilogrammes.

The average price however, took a 24 percent tumble from US$1, 21 to US$0, 92 per kilogramme.

Though we are privy to figures from the small-scale sector we still await production information from corporates to know the true national statistics, he added.

Meanwhile, diversified local agriculture group, Ariston Holdings Limited in a trading update for the third quarter ended June 30, 2024 said macadamia nut sales volume surged a whopping 93 percent from 606 to 1 171 tonnes, a clear indication of an improved demand following the global decline in volumes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic period.

Revenue generated by the company in the current period was 0, 5 percent higher than the comparable period, a result of the improved earnings generated by the macadamia enterprise, said the report.

Macadamia merchants have called on farmers to improve on quality of the fruit in order to capitalise on the expected price resurgence from 2025.

This was said by representatives of the merchants in their meeting with Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) and other stakeholders in Chipinge.

Macadamia nut-in-shell prices were depressed last year owing to oversupply in Europe and the United States of America (USA), this trend was expected to persist in 2024 before an expected resurgence in 2025, said the merchants then.

The Horticultural Development Council (HDC) 2023 June seasonal quarterly report said while in the past macadamia prices were higher than that of tea, they were now almost at par.

The pressure on prices has accelerated moves towards value addition with Rosywood commencing construction of a cracking facility.

The macadamia prices in the 2023 season were at their lowest levels in 20 years, however, demand is expected to firm for the coming season, said the HDC September 2023 seasonal report.