Macadamia nut trees have grown into the “cash tree” and “rich fruit” of local people. It has been 30 years since Macadamia seeds crossed the sea from Australia to Lincang, Yunnan. On October 17, 2018, the 8th International Macadamia symposium will be held in Lincang, Yunnan. At that time, the global macadamia nut industry giants will gather in Lincang to discuss the development of the macadamia nut industry. As the top event of the international macadamia industry every three years, the reason to choose Lincang as meeting host is a long term prospect of  positive influence from Yunnan nut industry to macadamia industry in the world.  

The influence of Lincang’s macadamia industry is dramatically increasing

At present, the nut industry in Lincang has become a new growth point of plateau characteristic agriculture in Yunnan province. The macadamia nut planting area accounts for 52% of the total planting area in the world. Therefore, Lincang has become the largest planting base of macadamia nut in the world and the main producing area in the world. Comparing with the main producing countries, especially the traditional ones such as Australia and South Africa, although the development of Lincang nut industry started late, both the planting area and the development speed have gradually become the core of the international macadamia nut. It was a model for the development of international macadamia nuts.

Nowadays, the global demand for macadamia nuts is more than 500,000 tons, but the annual global output is only about 150,000 tons, and China 15,000 tons from China. According to the data provided by the Yunnan Provincial Forestry Department, the total production of macadamia nuts in Lincang will be over 100,000 tons in 2020, with a total value of about 3 billion Yuan. Yunnan macadamia nuts are gradually becoming a dominant power in the world's macadamia nut industry.

Based of Yunnan macadamia industry is forming

The development of Yunnan macadamia has superior climate and resource advantages. The climatic conditions of the vast mountainous and middle-level mountainous areas below 1300 meters in the province are most suitable for the growth and flowering of macadamia. Typhoon, hurricane and other windstorms rarely occur. The area of planted macadamia is over 10 million mu. Compared with other major planting areas in the world, due to the geographical environment, Yunnan macadamia nuts are mainly concentrated in high-altitude mountains where are not suitable to mechanized operation. Manual collection is the only one option. On the basis of absorbing the advanced experience of management of macadamia nut abroad, Yunnan scientists and technicians summed up a set of cultivation techniques including soil and water conservation, variety mixing, tree management, fertilizer and water management, efficient harvesting and pest control techniques. Guided by leading enterprises in the macadamia nut industry such as YunAoDa, Sino-Aus Agricultural Technology Development Co. ,Ltd, the number of production and processing enterprises in province are nearly 20, and more than 50 professional cooperatives, form the industrial chains of seedling cultivation and supply, efficient planting, intensive processing of products, scientific research and technical services, import and export trade. Thus, Yunnan's Macadamia industry base has been initially formed.

Hugh potentials in Chinese market

“World nut market needs China and Chinese nuts come from Yunnan”. According to data released by the Macadamia Nut Society, in the past five years, the export of macadamia nuts to China has increased from 1,294 tons to 16,311 tons, an increase of 11.6 times, becoming the largest importer of macadamia in Asia and the world. At the same time, due to the large planting area of macadamia nuts in Yunnan and the gradual entry into the fruiting period, the industry is optimistic that Yunnan will become an important source of macadamia nuts in the future of Chinese market.

In 2006, macadamia nuts entered the Chinese market on a large scale, and consumption has risen year by year, becoming a favorite of many families. In recent years, with the rapid development of e-commerce and the increasing demand for healthy food by consumers, macadamia nuts are gradually being widely used in various snacks or food products. The per capita annual consumption of macadamia nuts in the Chinese market is only It is 3 grams, far below the international average level of 16 grams per year. The huge market potential and planting scale make China to become the largest consumer and raw material producer in the world.