Bundaberg’s Red Rock Macadamias has won Grower of the Year (Central Region, large farm) for its consistent high production over the past five years.
Red Rock Macadamias owners Jason and Fiona Klotz were honoured to be named in the Australian Macadamia Society Awards of Excellence (AMS) for the third time.
Red Rock Macadamia’s 80ha orchard achieved 1.69 tonne saleable kernel per hectare (1.69 t/ha SK) average over the last five seasons.
Jason and Fiona, who have been in the macadamia industry since 2006, have taken out this prestigious award an impressive three times over the last six seasons.
Jason is a fifth-generation farmer and the Klotz family have been farming on the home farm for 150 years.
Their son Sam is now also part of the macadamia business.
Australian Macadamia Society CEO Clare Hamilton-Bate congratulated all Awards of Excellence recipients whose attention to detail, on-farm innovation, collaboration and focus on long-term orchard health was nothing short of exceptional.
“We are an industry powered by the collaboration and innovative thinking of our people,” Clare said.
“Our award winners are a great example of this and understand what it takes to shine in the unpredictable and sometimes unrewarding world of farming.”
Clare said Australia, the original home of macadamias, was a recognised global market leader that enjoyed an enviable reputation for its high-quality macadamia nuts and world’s best production practices.
“We have our growers to thank for this reputation,” she said.
“Our growers and our industry are committed to the pursuit of excellence, from practices adopted on farm, to post-harvest handling and the premium quality of the end product.”
Australian macadamia industry fast facts
Macadamias originated in the rainforests of Australian over 60 million years ago.
Australia is the only country in world where wild macadamia trees still grow (mainly in SE Qld and NE NSW).
There are approx. 800 macadamia growers in Australia, producing over 50,000T of nut-in-shell per year.
There are around 12.5 million commercially planted macadamia trees in Australia.
67% of macadamias are grown in Queensland.
80% of Australian macadamia production is exported to more than 40 countries.
Macadamias are harvested after the nuts mature and fall to the ground.
Macadamias are the hardest nut to crack, but it’s lots of fun!
Macadamias are great for your heart and brain as they have a higher level of good fats than any other nut.
Research has confirmed eating macadamias doesn’t lead to weight gain, but they do satisfy both your hunger and taste buds.
