Macadamia SA - Autumn 2018

WHAT’S 

THE BUZZ 

ON BEES 

KHUVUKA 

CRACKS NEW 

TECHNOLOGY 

WIND-BLOWN 

MACS FIND 

SHELTER 

Autumn 2018

PRODUCERS OF GUARANTEED HIGH QUALITY MACADAMIA TREES 

GLOBALGAP - SAMAC 

Editor 

Gareth Wright 

072 223 3498 

gareth@macadamiasa.co.za 

Contents 

Advertising 

Laura Myers 

083 271 5243 

laura@macadamiasa.co.za 

Design & Layout 

Elizabeth-Ann Bradley 

hello.elizabethann@gmail.com 

www.macadamiasa.co.za 

CONTACT MOUNTAINVIEW NURSERY 

orders@mountainviewnursery.co.za 

Stefan (M) 071 608 9151 (Facsimile) 086 623 2590 

5-STAR ACCREDITED 

NURSERY 

Cover Image 

Maggy Mtawane pours the 

sorted macadamia kernels into 

a skip at the Green Farms Nut 

Company Coastal Factory on 

the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. 

The kernels are sorted at least once 

more before being 

packaged for export. 

Image Colleen Dardagan 

Right Image 

Tanya Jacobs Photography 

www.tanyajacobs.co.za 

This publication is 

protected by copyright law. 

No part of this publication may be 

reproduced in any way without the 

permission and acknowledgement 

of Macadamia South Africa. 

Opinions expressed do not 

necessarily represent the views 

of Macadamia South Africa 

or the publishers. 

Published By 

Publishing 

Powerhouse (Pty) Ltd. 

Po Box 1501 

Simbithi, Ballito 

4390 

Printed By 

a Novus 

Holdings 

Company 

2 

4 

10 

16 

20 

26 

28 

32 

From the Editor 

Gareth Wright 

Fodder Grass Provides Perfect Shelter 

For Wind-Blown Macs 

Strict Business Principles 

Turn a Dream into Reality 

Coastal Factory Upgrades 

To Meet Processing Demand 

What’s The Buzz? 

Macadamia Growers & Bee 

Farmers Must Keep Talking 

Pioneering Cracking Technology 

Gives Khuvuka Max the Edge 

Expert Advice From Mayo Macs 

For Sustainable Harvesting 

Establishing An Orchard 

You Only Get One Chance 

WWW.MOUNTAINVIEWNURSERY.CO.ZA

From 

the 

Editor 

Gareth Wright 

As the drought intensifies its grip in the Western Cape, and 

in particular in the city of Cape Town, the issue of optimum 

water use, particularly in organised agriculture has become 

a top priority across the country. In Mpumalanga and 

KwaZulu-Natal where farmers are ploughing out tobacco, 

banana, litchi, mango, timber and sugar cane fields and 

replacing them with macadamia nut orchards, high input 

costs and the impact of climate change on weather patterns 

has resulted in the installation of state-of-the-art irrigation 

systems and the age-old use of mulch to keep soil moisture 

content at optimum levels. In the Umhlatuze Valley outside 

Richards Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal, growers are using 

innovation to not only protect their young trees from the 

north-westerly wind, but to keep the shallow feeder roots 

moist even in the driest conditions. 

In this, the second edition of the Macadamia SA magazine, 

we delve into these strategies and highlight some of the 

attitudes growers have towards the adoption of best practice 

soil management in their orchards. As the harvesting season 

is now in full swing, a visit to the Green Farms Nut Company 

Coastal Factory near Ramsgate on the KwaZulu-Natal south 

coast has further highlighted the industry’s exponential 

growth. During the off season a multi-million rand upgrade 

has meant the plant has doubled its capacity for processing 

high quality kernels which are then exported all over the 

world. And perhaps, more importantly, the factory offers 

opportunities for work in a rural area where jobs are generally 

hard to come by. 

In Mpumalanga, a new factory has opened its doors using 

innovative nut cracking technology which the growers, who 

own the facility, say will improve profits. With an innate 

passion for farming and a degree in agriculture, Hazyview 

grower, Elias Pangane, saw the gap offered by this burgeoning 

industry and swopped his cattle for macadamia nut trees, 

and according to him, the success of his operation is linked 

directly to his pest management strategy and being on top of 

the feeding programme for his trees. Previously a vegetable 

farmer, Pangane now plants his vegetables between the 

trees. Andrew Sheard from Mayo Macs again offers expert 

advice on what growers should be thinking about in their 

orchards particularly in relation to the harvesting process and 

maintenance to ensure a quick recovery for the trees resulting 

in a big crop again next year. 

In its bid to optimise the use of 

water for irrigation in the growing 

number of macadamia nut orchards 

in the country, growers have adopted 

strategies that have exponentially 

improved the health of their soils. 

Colleen Dardagan 

Contributing Author 

Lindi Botha 

Contributing Author 

Laura Myers 

Advertising 

2 

MACADAMIA SOUTH AFRICA

Fodder Grass 

Provides Perfect 

Shelter 

For Wind-Blown Macs 

Tough weather conditions on KwaZulu-Natal’s 

northern coastline are proving the perfect 

classroom for best water and land management 

development in the region’s fledgling industry. 

Article & Images 


Planting Napier Fodder (Pennisetum purpureum) as a 

protection against persistent gales in Zululand is proving 

hugely effective for the improved protection of macadamia 

nut saplings in newly developed orchards. Technical 

Manager at UVS, Sarah-Jane Stewart said one of the biggest 

challenges in the 470ha macadamia operation was finding a 

way to protect young trees from the elements. “Wind is one 

of our biggest limiting factors. We definitely don’t get the 

growth that farmers in Mpumalanga achieve, for example. 

Our trees don’t grow as vigorously, but we have now come up 

with a way to protect our trees and its working really well,” 

Stewart said. 

With a target of another 120has planted to macadamia trees 

by this time next year, land preparation for the additional 

orchards - previously used for sugarcane production - is 

already well underway. “We start our land preparation a year 

in advance. Once the sites for the new orchards are mapped 

using drones and satellite technology, we then prepare the 

ridges. We turn the soils at depth before planting the rows of 

Napier Fodder - or Elephant Grass - together with a mix of 

natural grasses, to hold the topsoil. Once the Napier Fodder 

has grown to an acceptable height we plant the new trees,” 

Stewart said. 

Through trial and error, the ideal growing conditions using 

the fodder as protection from the wind are starting to emerge. 

“We have tried planting the trees between the rows of Napier 

Fodder and then cutting it down by hand to use as mulch 

once the trees are established. We have also tried growing the 

trees close to the rows of fodder. At this stage the latter seems 

to be the more successful. And rather than cut the fodder 

by hand we want to use a mechanical chipping machine to 

break down the stalks faster. The cut fodder also provides an 

effective mat that smothers weed growth,” she said. 

Macadamia varieties planted on the farm include 814s (the 

best performers during the recent drought), 816s, 842s, 846s 

and 849s. Further, due to the limited differential between 

day and night temperatures in the sub-tropical region, the 

orchards produce nuts with thin shells and good kernel 

recovery. More recent plantings have included the drought 

resistant Beaumont variety. The oldest trees on the farm are 

12 years old. About 110ha are producing nuts while the rest 

of the area is planted to young and developing trees. Water 

for irrigation is drawn from the nearby Umhlatuze River 

which also supplies water to the nearby industrial city of 

Richards Bay. 

As most of the producing trees on the farm are still recovering 

from the crippling drought, currently harvest tonnages are 

pegged at about 3.5 tons a hectare. “Our short-term aim 

is to get to 4.5 tons and then ultimately 6 tons a hectare,” 

Stewart said. 

Above Napier Fodder 

is planted in the newly 

prepared orchards to 

protect the macadamia 

nut saplings from the 

north westerly winds. 

Right Technical 

Manager at the 

Umhlatuzi Valley Sugar 

Company, Sarah-Jane 

Stewart assists with the 

sorting of the macadamia 

nuts in the company’s 

de-husking and drying 

facility on the farm. 

4 

MACADAMIA SOUTH AFRICA 

AUTUMN 2018 5

Far Left 

Macadamia husks fresh 

from the factory are 

applied below the trees. 

Once harvesting is 

completed the macadamia 

husks are mixed with 

kraal manure before 

being applied to selected 

orchards. 

Left 

Once the nuts are dried 

and bagged, they are 

weighed before being 

stored in a room kept at a 

constant 20°C to prevent 

mould growth. 

Above Technical Manager at The Umhlatuzi Valley 

Sugar Company, Sarah-Jane Stewart explains how 

the weather stations and moisture probes in the 

orchards are operated using solar energy. 

A horticulturalist by profession who farmed macadamias 

in Mpumalanga for 11 years before returning to KwaZulu- 

Natal, Stewart said the recent drought in the region had 

“substantially” informed improved irrigation practices. “We 

are on a big drive to use mulch. Mulch reduces the water 

needs of the trees and also reduces the need for herbicides. 

We are trying to move away from using too many herbicides 

to improve soil sustainability.” 

At the end of each harvesting season the macadamia nut 

husks - removed during processing - are mixed with kraal 

manure and mechanically applied under the trees. This mix 

is used in addition to old prunings and the decomposing 

fodder stalks,” she said. 

Above Assistant technical manager, Sihle Khoza 

assists with pruning some of the younger trees at 

the Umhlatuzi Valley Sugar Company. 

Left Mainly women are employed by the 

Umhlatuzi Valley Sugar Company and in 

particular during the harvesting season. 

6 



Over 70% of the orchards are under drip irrigation 

with the older blocks still under a micro-jet system. 

“The drip irrigation is fantastically effective. For 

example, yesterday we had 80mm of rain, but we 

are still able to put fertigation down under the trees. 

We just decrease the amount of water and increase 

the amount of fertiliser, whereas with the micro-jets 

you still have to put down quite a lot of water before 

the right amount of fertiliser can be absorbed. Using 

drip irrigation really saves a lot of water,” she said. 

And now that the harvesting season is well underway, 

Stewart said staff were working two shifts to gather in 

the nuts. “We employ about 60 full time employees 

and 80 people, mainly women, on contract during 

the harvesting season,” she said. Once the nuts are 

harvested, two teams specialising in the pruning of 

the trees, move in to the orchards. “Because we have 

a very hot and dry September - we have recorded 

some of our hottest temperatures at this time - 

through a little manipulation we try to bring our 

trees into flowering as early as July. That is why we 

prune the trees as quickly as possible after flowering, 

so they can rest and recover.” 

Because the development of the macadamia 

industry in northern KwaZulu-Natal is relatively 

new compared with the more established industries 

in Mpumalanga, southern KZN and the Limpopo 

Province, Stewart said farmers were learning 

together. “We have three other macadamia nut 

producers in our area. We share information on the 

spraying of pests such as stink bugs and nut borer, 

we have regular study group meetings. Farming has 

really become so much more scientific and that is 

why I love this particular industry as there is still so 

much to learn,” Stewart said. 

Top 

Refurbished vegetable tunnels 

house about 50 000 saplings which 

will be planted in the over 100ha’ 

of newly developed orchards. 

Middle 

Napier Fodder is planted in the 

newly prepared orchards to protect 

the macadamia nut saplings from 

the north westerly winds. 

Right 

Women are seen moving from 

one orchard to another. In peak 

harvesting season teams working 

two shifts a day are able to deliver 

21 tons to the on-farm de-husking 

and drying facility. 

8 


Above Elias Pangane has fulfilled his dream of farming part-time, thanks to the robust macadamia industry. 

Strict 

Business 

Principles 

Turn A Dream Into Reality 

Elias Pangane’s passion for farming was ignited 

at a young age. Growing up on a cattle farm 

just outside of Hazyview in Mpumalanga, his 

family grew their own vegetables and that gave 

him his taste for farming. But it was never seen 

as a viable career option and so Pangane pursued 

a profession in the construction business. When 

his father left the farm in 1996 to live closer to 

town, Pangane managed the family’ cattle herd, 

but soon realised the farm had more potential. 

Over the next few years, he took the land from 

a subsistence farm to a flourishing business. 


Lindi Botha 

“Today I am farming full-time and 

I’m making room for my sons to join 

me. My eldest two, Kenwell (28) 

and Muzi (26) both became civil 

engineers since I was already in the 

construction business, but Dumisane 

(20) is currently studying for a BA in 

agriculture at the University of the 

Free State. He has a real love for the 

land and is excited to join me,” says 

Pangane. 

PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME 

In 1999 Pangane decided to de-bush 

the land and farm vegetables like beans, 

tomatoes and chillies, as he felt this 

would be a better economic utilisation 

of the land. While the vegetables were 

doing well, a turning point came in 

2007 when Pangane was given 200 

Nelmac macadamia trees as part of a 

government initiative to expand the 

macadamia industry. After seeing that 

the trees did well Pangane bought 

more trees and started expanding this 

component of the farm. 

Today he has 30ha of macadamias in 

total, with more trees being added 

every year. He follows a system where 

he leaves enough space between rows of 

vegetables to plant a row of macadamia 

trees. This way he has a cash crop that 

brings in a good income during the 

first five years, before the trees start 

producing nuts. Once the trees are 

too big to plant vegetables around 

them, he moves onto another field, 

planting vegetables and macadamias 

in between, at a spacing of eight 

meters by four metres. Pangane plants 

pine trees around every block as 

wind breakers. 

The business, Pangane & Sons is 

spread over two farms; 28 hectares 

on Lost and Found and 11 hectares 

on Mashoshowane, which is three 

kilometres further down the road. 

Pangane plants Beaumonts as the yields 

are good and the A4 variety because 

of the higher than average crackouts. 

The Nelmacs are harvested in March, 

and Beaumont and A4 in April or 

May depending on maturity. Overall 

he achieves a crackout of 34% sound 

kernel recovery. 

Above Left Vegetables are planted 

between the rows of young macadamia 

trees to provide a monthly income 

before the trees are in production. 

10 MACADAMIA SOUTH AFRICA 

AUTUMN 2018 

11

Above Pangane plants Nelmacs, Beaumonts and A4’s on his farms. The first trees were planted in 2007. 

When asked about the challenges 

of farming macadamias, Pangane 

smiles and says, “There aren’t any! 

If you do regular scouting, follow 

your fertiliser and crop protection 

programme there are few problems. 

When I started farming vegetables my 

biggest challenge was finding a market, 

but with macadamias the market 

finds you because they are that much 

in demand.” 

Pangane uses trusted consultants 

from reputable companies to work 

out a crop protection and fertiliser 

programme and has his spraying 

machines regularly calibrated. “This 

is very important because if your 

equipment is not calibrated you spend 

all the money on chemicals, but don’t 

get the full advantage.” 

He believes the secret to a good crop 

is following the spraying programme 

and doing adequate scouting. “The 

programme is a good guideline, but 

you need to know what is happening 

in the orchards as well. Every month 

before we spray we scout to see what 

is really happening. Otherwise you 

just spray and it is not necessarily what 

is needed.” 

Both Lost and Found and 

Mashoshowane are the only farms in 

the area growing macadamias. Because 

there are no neighbouring orchards, 

Pangane says that the pest load on his 

trees is lighter. “I don’t have to worry if 

my neighbour is spraying or not and if 

stinkbugs that breed on his farm, come 

over to mine. The downside however 

is that I am the only one burning fire 

breaks, which makes it all the more 

important for me to do it right. It’s a 

huge investment in your orchards to 

lose if fires started spreading.” 

Pangane & Sons employs six 

permanent workers for the macadamias 

and an additional 20 workers around 

harvest time. He is passionate about 

empowering women and focusses 

on placing females in leadership 

roles. Busi Thabete and Nyengeterai 

Kahle started out as general labourers 

and today are farm managers. They 

manage the workforce, production and 

Global GAP certification of the farms. 

“Women are reliable,” says Pangane. 

“They follow instructions and are 

consistent. Across my two farms only 

a third of the employees are male. This 

created problems initially as many men 

did not want to take instruction from 

a woman. But I told them that if they 

don’t listen to the women it is as good 

as not listening to me.” 

FULFILLING A DREAM 

Pangane says he has three principles 

that guide him in his endeavours: 

capital, knowledge and market. “These 

are three things you need to be a 

successful businessman and farmer. 

You have to have all three, not one 

or the other. If you don’t have capital 

you will take short cuts, if you don’t 

have the knowledge you will do things 

wrong. And of course without a market 

you don’t have an income. If one of the 

three is missing then forget it; you will 

lose your money and waste your time.” 

He attributes his success to the passion 

he has for farming. “If you love 

something you seek knowledge about 

it. You won’t waste your time learning 

about something that does not interest 

you. I speak to everyone I can to get as 

much information as possible. I phone 

the other farmers in the area if I have 

a problem and read up on whatever I 

can to improve. Lastly, practice makes 

perfect. The more involved you are on 

the farm the better. I must teach my 

staff and show them the way, so I need 

to make sure I am as informed as I 

possibly can be.” 

Pangane has confidence in the future 

of the macadamia industry and says 

he will continue to expand as much 

as he can. “When I started farming I 

never thought I would get to where I 

am today because I didn’t think I could 

make money out of it. I just thought I 

had to farm part time as a hobby and 

make a living from construction. I 

think if young people realised they can 

make as much money from farming as 

any other career we would find more 

people in agriculture.” 

But, he says, the secret is to farm 

properly. “Otherwise you will always 

struggle and everyone that sees you will 

be put off by farming. If farming is in 

your heart you will make it. Initially it 

is a struggle. Nothing is easy when you 

start, but you must persevere.” 

Right The average crackout across the 

varieties is 34% sound kernel recovery. 

12 



A 3-part series on the history of Beaumont in South Africa. 

ADVERTORIAL 

Part 

1 

Left: 

Len Hobson in his 

Nursery prior to his 

discovery of Beaumont. 

Above: 

Len Hobson’s slide 

photograph of the John 

H Beaumont Agricultural 

research centre in Hawaii. 

There is a reason why Beaumont (HAES 695) has 

become the clear leader in cultivar choice in South 

Africa. A deeper look into the history of the cultivar 

explains why this is so, and why Amorentia Macadamia 

Nursery chooses to produce hundreds of thousands of 

Beaumont trees each year. 

During the 1930s, thousands of Macadamia cultivars 

were trialled in Hawaii in search of the highest 

quality nuts for a commercial industry. The trials were 

headed by Prof. Bill Storey and followed by Prof. Dick 

Hamilton. A new Australian selection, NSW44, which 

was numbered 695 in the HAES gene bank, (later to 

be given the name Beaumont) was rejected for its 

inability to naturally drop its own crop. It had passed 

all other quality tests conducted by the University 

of Hawaii. 

Len Hobson, a well-loved horticulturist in South 

Africa is known for having pioneered the Macadamia 

Industry here and for having developed the Papino® 

too. During a visit to California for a citrus symposium 

in 1968, Len visited an important Macadamia trialplanting. 

Among the trees planted there was the HAES 

695 selection. Len also visited the first commercial 

planting of 695 belonging to the chairman of the 

Californian Macadamia Society (Col. Wells Miller). 

Len recalls that the young trees were laden with nuts. 

After visiting both sites, Len fell in love with Beaumont 

and he began the preparation to import some material 

to South Africa. This story is extremely entertaining 

and can be read on the Amorentia website: 

www.amorentia.co.za. Interestingly, Len is the 

maternal Grandfather to Amorentia’s Macadamia 

Nursery manager, Lauren Strever. 

Once Len had established the 695 mother material in 

his nursery, he immediately experimented with clonal 

propagation and realised the importance to pursue 

the cultivar for commercial use. In his record keeping, 

he noted that a high quality rootstock coupled with 

an above-average kernel (and an exceptionally 

precocious nature) must be a winner if vegetatively 

propagated properly. 

Look out for Part 2 in the next edition of the Macadamia SA Magazine! 

www.amorentia.co.za

Coastal Factory 

Upgrades 

To Meet Processing Demand 

A multi-million upgrade to the Green Farms Nut Company 

Coastal Factory on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast has 

enabled the facility to double its capacity to meet demand. 

And expectations are that as sugarcane growers continue 

to diversify their operations at least 1 000ha of additional 

macadamia nut orchards could come under development 

in KwaZulu-Natal by 2020. 

Article Colleen Dardagan 

Images Colleen & Greg Dardagan 

Above Ntomb'futhi Shusha and Sonto Ngcobo sort the macadamia nuts after they are mechanically removed from their shells. 

Above Nuts supplied from as far afield as Zululand and George in the Western Cape are processed at the factory. 

16 



Ann Baker, General Manager at the 

plant on the outskirts of Ramsgate, says 

a major refurbishment and upgrade 

during the 2017/18 off-season means 

the factory now has the capacity to 

process up to 4 500 tons of macadamia 

nuts a year - more than double the 

2 000 tons previously. “When I was 

first appointed to the position of 

General Manager in 2007 we were 

processing less than 1 000 tons a year 

at times - now we are processing almost 

3 000 tons! The growth in the industry 

is exponential and we are now ready for 

it.” With the 2018 harvesting season 

well underway, Baker said the factory 

was trucking out the processed kernels 

at a rate of about 25 tons a week with 

the almost 170 seasonal staff working 

double shifts to cope with harvested 

nuts arriving from as far away as 

northern Zululand and George in the 

Western Cape. 

Kernels from the factory are shipped to 

the United States, Europe, Japan, the 

United Kingdom and the Far East which 

underlines the company’s philosophy 

to sell into all the macadamia markets 

rather than focusing on a particular 

region. As a result, the risk for both the 

Green Farms Nut Company and the 

grower is spread, which is fundamental 

to building a global market for the 

domestic product. 

“We believe this is what differentiates 

us. At least 95% of our product is 

exported as kernel, rather than nutin-shell, 

which is in huge demand in 

China. The problem though is the 

Chinese then process the nuts and 

export them to countries where we 

already have customers. They are 

creating competition for us using 

our own products. But by supporting 

all markets we are introducing our 

macadamias to new customers and not 

simply focusing on what could be an 

easy option,” she said. 

The Coastal Factory was first built ten 

years ago by local farmers. “Back then 

most farmers would send their crop all 

the way to Mpumalanga,” she said. 

Nico Neethling, who is the Technical 

and Horticultural Advisor for the Green 

Farms Nut Company - the family group 

bought the factory in 2006 - said his 

understanding was that at least 1 500ha 

to 2 500ha of macadamia orchards were 

being planted on average across the 

country each year and at least half of 

that was in Mpumalanga. 

“We anticipate the rate of orchard 

growth to remain at similar levels 

so that means an increase of about 

3 000ha to 5 000ha under nuts by 

2020,” Neethling said. 

Right The Green Farms Nut 

Company logo proudly displayed 

outside the newly built factory on 

the outskirts of the KwaZulu-Natal 

south coast town of Ramsgate. 

Far Right Staff inside the recently 

upgraded factory give the processed 

nuts a final check before 

they are packaged. 

Right Newly-appointed 

Production Manager at 

the factory, Brian Cele. 

Below Left General 

Manager at the Coastal 

Macadamia factory 

Ann Baker explains 

how state-of-the art 

machinery in the 

facility cracks the nuts. 

Below Right 

Macadamia Nuts 

ready for packaging. 

Baker said the increase in capacity at 

the factory had resulted in more work 

opportunities for local people in an 

area where jobs were hard to come 

by. “I have seven permanent staff and 

the rest are seasonal contract workers. 

When we start up at the beginning of 

each harvesting season we give priority 

to those who have worked here before. 

Then, if there are any vacancies, we fill 

up with new people, but all from the 

local area. All the staff are then trained, 

those who have worked with us before 

have a refresher course,” Baker said. 

But it is the FSSC 22000 or Food 

Safety System Certification that Baker 

is particularly proud of. “I believe this 

was the first macadamia nut factory in 

the world to achieve that accreditation. 

We are very strict on quality control; 

checks and balances are in place right 

the way along the processing line. All 

our product is fully traceable. Each 

farmer’s crop is processed separately. 

And we reward those farmers who 

deliver high quality nuts with discount 

prices and we penalise those who 

send in a crop that does not meet the 

standard criteria.” 

Baker said while farmers were advised 

ahead of the season of the prices they 

could expect for their harvest, at the 

close of the season if further profits 

were made on the back of favourable 

exchange rates and better sale contracts, 

these were divided up. “This is a strong 

point of ours, we pay the farmers on 

the actual nuts they deliver and then if 

there are extra profits at the end of the 

season they benefit from that as well. 

Our record keeping on each farmer is 

comprehensive and accurate. In fact, 

if one of our customers has an issue 

with the product delivered to them 

we can trace those back to each batch 

delivered,” she said. 

Farmers who delivered their crop to 

the Coastal Macadamia Factory were 

also kept abreast of best harvesting 

and growing practices. “Our Extension 

Assistant, Butch Aylward, visits our 

farmers regularly to assist them with 

technical advice. This is so important 

to us for maintaining the quality of 

our product, as well as ensuring the 

nuts come into the factory according 

to a well organised delivery schedule,” 

she said. 

18 



What’s The Buzz? 

Macadamia Growers & Bee 

Farmers Must Keep Talking 

Medieval monks and Egyptians as far back as 2400 BC 

were fully aware of the value of the honey bee for the 

production of food. Honey was the food of the gods and a 

highly sought-after trade currency in those ancient times. 

Regardless of the technological and agricultural advances 

over the centuries, bees are still fundamental to the 

production of food. Without them the people and animals 

of the world would simply starve to death. And, to bring 

it closer to home, crop farmers in South Africa, are wholly 

dependent on the health of the country’s bee swarms to 

produce food for a population that has burgeoned from less 

than 40 million 25 years ago to over 60 million today. 



Above A bottle of the pure honey 

made from macadamia nut flowers. 

Craig Campbell, who is the Chairman 

of the KZN Bee Farmers’ Association, 

a member of the South African 

Bee Industry Organisation and the 

Managing Director at the noted Peels 

Honey outside Hilton, says improved 

communication between farmers and 

apiculturists is now critical, particularly 

in the country’s growing macadamia 

nut industry where demand for bee 

swarms is outstripping supply. 

“At the moment the macadamia nut 

industry takes up about 40% of our 

more than 8 000 hives, and already 

we have seen an increase in demand 

between last year and this year. The 

growth is exponential,” Campbell said. 

Peels Honey uses its bees to pollinate 

crops such as sunflowers as far away as 

Kimberley in the northern Cape, to, 

apples and cherries in the Free State 

and macadamia nut trees, litchis, citrus 

and avocado trees in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Over the period of a year the bee farmer 

harvests about 40kg of honey from 

each hive depending on the crop and 

the season. During the recent drought 

in the country, for example, Campbell 

said many of the swarms produced little 

or no honey due to the lack of rain. 

During the 2017 season Campbell said 

they harvested just 200kgs of honey 

from the macadamia nut orchards in 

KwaZulu-Natal. Because of the range 

of varieties planted in the county’s 

orchards, bee hives are placed into 

the macadamia orchards between July 

and October compared with apples 

and cherries for example, where hives 

are required in the orchards for just 

two weeks. 

20 MACADAMIA SOUTH AFRICA 


21

Campbell said for growers to be 

assured of healthy swarm supply 

during flowering, it was now more 

critical than ever, they talked to bee 

farmers well ahead of the season to 

secure their contracts in time to make 

sure they had a suitable supply for their 

orchards. “Unfortunately, there is this 

debate now between macadamia nut 

farmers and beekeepers over the cost of 

the hives. There is this misperception 

that we make a whole lot of money out 

of the honey. In reality, though, the 

bees are in the orchards to do a job. 

To pollinate the trees for a good nut 

set. We overload the immediate area 

with hives to produce a good nut set 

because less bees means less nut set. 

As a result, we put more hives into the 

orchards than usual which means there 

is less food for the bees. We get very 

little honey versus the investment we 

make into the preparation of the bee 

boxes, protective clothing, feeding of 

the bees and the cost of labour and the 

transport we use to get the hives into 

and out of the orchards.” 

Further, during the off season it was 

critical to keep the bees in areas where 

they could find food to keep them 

healthy. “We have to remove the hives 

from the orchards in the off season 

because there is too little forage for 

them. The other debate is the use of 

pesticides. Again, this is where it is so 

important that growers and bee farmers 

are talking to each other. There are bee 

friendly pesticides and there are ways 

that the trees can be sprayed for pests 

- at night for example when the bees 

are not active - that will ensure the bees 

are protected.” 

Left Chairman of the KZN Bee 

Farmers’ Association and Managing 

Director at Peels Honey, Craig 

Campbell explains how wild swarms 

are attracted to domestic hives by 

smearing wax and honey onto the 

outside and inside of the boxes. He 

says the hives then smell “just like 

home” for any wandering swarm. 

22 



Campbell says he’s very careful not to 

stress his bees. “Very few people know 

about the term “fat bees and skinny 

bees”. Bees get protein from pollen and 

then carbohydrates from nectar. If the 

bees only get a single source of pollen 

and nectar for extended periods of time 

this can be unhealthy for them. To have 

healthy bees they have to keep getting 

enough food and a balanced diet. This 

creates a dilemma for us. We battle 

to keep colonies strong and healthy 

throughout the year, so we have to 

move them to different areas to make 

more food available to them. 

He said ideally growers should be 

placing at least five hives per hectare 

for an ideal nut set. “Some farmers 

are happy with three hives per hectare, 

but we believe it is more effective to 

have between five and seven hives 

per hectare. Also, it is very important 

where the hives are placed in the 

orchards. Research has shown that the 

trees closest to the hives will have the 

better nut set, so it is no good putting 

all the hives in one row, or to the side 

of an orchard.” 

Growers should also only use bee 

farmers that were registered with the 

Department of Agriculture which was 

a requirement by law, Campbell said. 

The South African Bee Industry 

Organisation will host their annual 

conference in Pietermaritzburg on July 

6 th and 7 th at the Royal show grounds 

under the auspices of the KZN Bee 

Farmers Association. 

Left Mphile Majozi prepares a “super” 

- or wooden frame - filled with honey for 

extraction. The honey on this particular 

frame was made by bees placed in 

sunflower fields in the Free State. The 

wax is recycled and processed into wax 

sheets which are then placed in the 

“supers”. 

24 


Left 

Khuvuka Max has 

opened its 2 250m² 

factory in White River. 

Pioneering 

Cracking 

Technology 

Gives Khuvuka Max The Edge 

As the macadamia production boom 

continues, processing facilities across South 

Africa are having to keep up to meet the 

exponential increase in the nut crop. 


Lindi Botha 

Above State of the art cracking and sorting equipment is used in the Khuvuka 

Max factory which has a processing capability of up to 6 000 tons a year 

Above Owner of Khuvuka Max, Cobus Kok. 

Khuvuka Max is the latest factory to open its doors and is 

offering world-class technology, resulting in greater profits 

for farmers and a sustainable processing industry in South 

Africa according to its owner, Cobus Kok. 

Khuvuka Max, a grower-owned, non-contractual macadamia 

nut factory launched its new factory earlier this year in 

White River, Mpumalanga. The facility offers expanded 

processing capabilities and innovative cracking technology. 

“We have put tremendous time and effort into research 

and development. This has ensured that we have industryunique 

equipment and processes in place, enabling us to 

add significant value to the macadamia industry through 

efficient processing and the delivery of a premium product,” 

said Kok. He said advancements in their factory included 

a more efficient method of cracking the nuts, resulting in 

a higher rate of whole nuts recovered, and consequently a 

higher payment rate to the farmer. 

These innovations, Kok said, were pioneered by his late 

father, Louis, who bought the original Loerieskloof farm in 

Peebles Valley, near the Kruger National Park, as a retirement 

property in 1970. After planting macadamias on the farm 

Louis started doing research on the processing of the nuts 

because at that time the industry was still in its infancy. 

Louis’s research meant visits to a number of Mpumalanga 

factories and it gradually dawned on him that the method 

used to crack the nuts could be improved. Instead of cracking 

the shell inwards he realised that to force the shell outwards 

would put less pressure on the kernel and increase the whole 

kernel crack-out recovery rate. This method would also result 

in less shell dust adherence, dirt contamination and oil cell 

damage to the product. After extensive experimentation, 

Louis established a small processing plant in 1996 where he 

pioneered the new cracking method. What started out as a 

pilot production line to test the new technology has over the 

years grown into a processing business that is now ready to 

meet the industry’s growing needs. 

GOING COMMERCIAL 

Since the death of his father in 2009, Kok has continued his 

father’s legacy. Over the years the pilot plant has received 

improvements and expansions to supply Khuvuka Max’s 

increased kernel production. But with the macadamia 

industry booming, he decided the time had come to develop 

the infrastructure necessary to harness his father’s technology 

in a large, fully developed factory, that was open to other 

growers as well. 

Manie Coetzer of WMC Sheet Metal Works, a complete 

mechanical design and engineering company dedicated to the 

development of production lines in Tzaneen, was contracted 

in 2012 to assist with improvements to the original design. 

The most significant change was switching from pistons to 

rotors and introducing an automatic single file feeder system. 

Louis’s big idea of forcing the shell to crack outwards, away 

from the kernel, remains central to the advanced technology 

in the 2 250m² factory. 

The processing in the factory includes the drying of the nuts 

in-shell (NIS), cracking, sorting, grading, sizing, styling, 

the drying of the kernels, packing and quality control. In 

addition, the factory is designed to increase capacity in a 

modular fashion, when the need arises. “Our facilities make 

provision for the streamlining of NIS exports. If a suitable 

quality of NIS is delivered, we would be able to export 

them as quickly as they are delivered and dried. This would 

place us in a position to export more NIS than we would be 

capable of cracking, which would more than double the total 

capacity of our factory, to around 5 000 tons to 6 000 tons 

initially,” said Kok. In addition, Khuvuka Max complies with 

the stringent quality standards that international food trade 

bodies and authorities demand, with specific reference to the 

macadamia industry. And the factory will assist in offsetting 

a projected shortfall in processing capacity in South Africa, 

as the macadamia crop increases due to new plantings. 

Barry Christie, operations manager for SAMAC, said the 

South African macadamia industry was growing at about 

4 000 hectares a year, with more than 30 000 hectares already 

planted. Christie said as a result there was a demand for more 

processing plants to handle the increased volumes. 

Khuvuka Max exports mainly to Europe and America, and 

qualifying NIS product to China. “We pride ourselves on 

supplying high quality macadamias to the local market, 

through reputable outlets, predominantly as roasted and 

salted product but with a fair amount of raw kernel also 

distributed,” said Kok. Top grade macadamias in South 

Africa were a “scarce commodity” and Kok said the South 

African Macadamia Growers’ Association (SAMAC) was 

working hard to clamp down on the many suppliers who 

supplied factory rejects to the local market as ‘choice grade’ 

product at a discounted - but still expensive - price. “This 

practice makes it very difficult for producers of true premium 

products to get into the market. Largely we have succeeded 

and people now know where to shop for excellent quality 

products,” he said. 

26 



Expert Advice 

From Mayo Macs 

For Sustainable Harvesting 

While the harvesting season puts massive time 

pressure on farmers to deliver their macadamia 

nut harvest to processing factories, maintenance 

in the orchard remains a priority despite falling 

temperatures and reduced irrigation demand. 



As the harvesting season is in full 

swing, Mayo Macs Technical Manager, 

Andrew Sheard says management 

practices for May to July should 

prioritise nut maturity, harvest 

efficiencies, drying methods and 

pruning the trees in preparation for 

next year’s crop. 

PRUNING 

“Pruning the fruit bearing trees is 

crucial for opening up the canopy to 

allow sunlight in, to improve spray 

efficacy and allow for the development 

of the bearing wood for the next 

season’s crop,” Sheard said. 

HARVESTING AND STRIPPING 

“Mature nuts should be harvested 

every 7-10 days and dehusked on the 

same day,” he said. 

“Nuts left in their husks can increase 

their temperature significantly if left 

for longer than 24 hours. It is also very 

important to adjust the de-husker for 

the larger, late cultivars such as A4 and 

A16. And then conducting a maturity 

test before stripping the orchard is 

crucial. By this stage of the season it 

shouldn’t be necessary to use a water 

bath to float the nuts, only if borer or 

nut immaturity is an issue.” 

Ethapon sprays used for ripening, 

Sheard said, should not be applied to 

stressed trees, but rather they should be 

irrigated two days before spraying, and 

then the spray should be applied on 

warm to hot days using high volume 

sprays allowing for thorough coverage 

of the nut. He warned that Ethapon 

should not be sprayed ahead of a cold 

front and 816 and 791varieties should 

not be sprayed at all. 

“Also spraying after mid to late June 

could negatively affect next season’s 

flowers and crop,” he said. 

DRYING BINS AND CURING 

Sheard said nuts should be cured in the 

drying bins for at least five days and 

nuts delivered to the processing plants 

or depots should be at a moisture 

content (MC%) of 10% or less. 

“It is advisable not to exceed a curing or 

drying temperature of 32ºC because it 

can result in the nuts curing or drying 

too fast. A safe limit for moisture 

removal is at 2% a day. High moisture 

content and high temperatures can 

possibly cause discoloration and 

internal browning. And then on the 

other hand, over drying could result 

in brittle nuts meaning the grower will 

have fewer whole nuts,” Sheard said. 

Above Technical Manager for Mayo Macs, Andrew Sheard in an orchard 

where mulching is a top priority to improve soil moisture content. 

28 



PEST CONTROL 

Scouting for pests was an ongoing 

necessity particularly among the late 

cultivars as stink bugs, for example, 

could continue to damage the crop, 

as a result spraying should continue, 

however, chemical withholding periods 

must be adhered to. 

Sheard said if husk rot and blossom 

blight were a problem in specific 

block or cultivars during the season 

he then suggested that the application 

of fungicides during June to reduce 

disease could be considered. 

“It is very important that any “stick 

tights” caused by husk rot are removed 

during the harvest to also prevent 

the build-up of disease ahead of the 

new season. Farmers must also make 

absolutely sure they are using the latest 

Southern African Macadamia Growers’ 

Association registered chemicals and 

the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) 

list,” Sheard said. 

Above Foliar sprays of micronutrients and blends at this 

time of the year are usually not necessary however lime or 

gypsum may be applied during this time of the season. 

Above Mayo Macs Technical Manager, Andrew Sheard shows the importance 

of healthy, moist and well-mulched soils for top nut harvest results. 

Further, he said, when using ambient 

air for curing there was a chance of the 

nuts developing mould because of the 

drying and re-wetting the nuts which 

was exacerbated by the current wet 

weather conditions. “We advise growers 

to run the fans continuously for the 

first one to two days after placing the 

wet nuts into the bins, then to switch 

the fans on at sunrise and off at sunset. 

This, by the way, doesn’t apply to bins 

using heaters,” he said. 

Sheard said growers should have at 

least 30% of their total crop available 

for on-farm-storage. 

NUT SORTING 

Hand sorting once the nuts were 

delivered from the orchards to the onfarm 

drying facility should result in 

nuts with dark shells being removed, 

also any germinated nuts, those 

damaged by nut borer, those with pale 

shells or those with cracked shells. 

“It really is important to sort the 

nuts again after the drying phase to 

check for any nut borer or false codling 

moth damage.” 

SOIL NUTRITION 

AND FOLIAR SPRAYS 

Sheard said soil applied nitrogen 

fertilizers were usually not necessary 

now or should not exceed 10% of the 

annual nitrogen requirement unless 

blocks or cultivars were showing 

low leaf levels. Apply Zinc (Zn), 

Cu (Copper) and Boron (B) as soil 

applications in May and April. 

“Post-harvest applications of soil 

nitrogen to Integrifolia (Integ) cultivars 

should only be done if the leaf nitrogen 

levels are more than 1.2%, or if the 

cultivar bore a crop of over four tons a 

hectare in the season. About 5 to 10% 

of the annual soil nitrogen requirement 

for these cultivars should be applied in 

April or early May,” Sheard said. 

Also 15 to 20% of the annual 

potassium requirement should be 

applied in April and early May and 

both lime and gypsum could be 

applied simultaneously, he said. As the 

KwaZulu-Natal region in particular 

had enjoyed good rains soil moisture 

levels were good and with the onset 

of cooler weather, the tree water 

requirements were decreasing with 

April to June and early July being the 

months when irrigation requirements 

were at their lowest. Sheard advised 

growers to keep a close eye however 

on soil curves using the soil moisture 

probes and while it was safe to allow 

soil moisture levels to decrease it was 

important to keep them maintained 

within the autumn and winter “norms”. 

“I would say the water requirement in 

the orchards now is typically about a 

third of the November to January peak 

periods. Also weed control is not an 

issue now as the temperatures are much 

cooler and soil moisture is decreasing,” 

he said. 

“It all starts in the nursery” 

Any plant’s success starts in the nursery, propagating high 

quality trees ensures a good start to a new orchard. 

Our nursery consists of 2 lath-houses and 1 seedbed all 

amounting to 2 500m². We Produce 50 000 trees per annum. 

Established in 2014, Brondal Kwekery have grown to a 

reputable supplier and grower of Macadamia trees. Situated just 

9km outside White River, with easy access from main routes, it 

allows the nursery quick collection and delivery ways. Co-owned 

and managed by Arve Grindstad & Ziaan Barnard, the nursery is 

run with a team of well trained and enthusiastic Ground Staff. 

Contact Us 

30 



Ziaan Barnard 083 555 4988 

31 

brondalkwekery@gmail.com / www.brondalkwekery.co.za

Establishing 

An Orchard 

You Only Get One Chance 

Establishing a macadamia orchard is a costly endeavour 

that only pays off several years later. Mistakes made 

in this initial planning phase could adversely affect 

the crop down the line. Thorough research, careful 

planning and soil preparation are crucial to ensure that 

the orchard gets off to the best possible start. 


Lindi Botha 

Rusty Mare, a macadamia farmer just 

outside of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, 

says that while every farm’s 

circumstances are different, there are 

several golden rules that need to be 

followed to ensure a prime orchard. 

“You only get one chance to get it right. 

If you take short cuts in the beginning 

it will just end up costing you more 

and more each year to get the orchard 

functioning optimally.” 

ORCHARD PREPARATION 

Mare starts his land preparation by 

removing all the boulders with an 

excavator. “This is not always necessary, 

but I prefer an unobstructed orchard. 

A farmer can then choose between 

ripping only the row he is going to 

plant or cross ripping the field. I choose 

the latter because the trees grow faster 

as the soil is looser.” 

Macadamia trees remain scarce and 

Mare has his own nursery on the 

farm. “I have paid my school fees for 

the nursery,” he laughs. “When I first 

started I used the wrong potting soil 

and at one stage had to throw away 

a whole batch. At some point it was 

more cost effective to buy trees from 

a nursery. But you have to take what 

you can get, as all the varieties are not 

freely available. It is better to plan far 

in advance and either order the right 

cultivar or ensure you can cultivate it 

correctly on the farm.” 

Mare says to get the most value out of 

the land it is important to get the tree 

density right. He believes 550 trees per 

hectare is optimal and does not believe 

in planting additional trees and then 

thinning out later. “It costs you to 

plant the extra trees and then to take 

them out. The additional revenue for 

the extra nuts you get from those trees 

is not worth it.” Mare plants his trees in 

a north to south direction. He says that 

it is important to note the angle of the 

sun coming into the orchard. “That, 

and the space the tractor needs to move 

through the orchard, is ultimately 

what should guide you when working 

out the spacing. The trees should also 

not be allowed to grow higher than six 

metres from the skirt of the tree, or you 

won’t be able to reach the top of the 

trees when spraying.” 

He adds that when planning the 

orchard farmers must consider that 

once the trees are fully grown, grass 

will not grow under the trees so there 

is nothing to hold the water. The water 

run-off must be considered carefully. 

Above Rusty Mare takes meticulous care when establishing a new orchard to ensure he gains the maximum advantage from his soil. 

32 



Above Mare has installed drip 

irrigation on the farm as it uses less 

water and has a lower water flow, so 

the whole farm can be irrigated at once. 

Above Fields must be prepared so that trees can be planted on the contour lines to minimise erosion when there is heavy rainfall. 

Right Mare achieves higher than 

average yield and crackout due to 

the care he puts into his orchards. 

Since mechanisation is increasingly becoming a possibility, 

this must also be taken into consideration when planting. 

Trees must be spaced in such a way that a machine can get 

into the orchards to make it easy to harvest. 

When choosing a variety to plant Mare says it is important to 

achieve a balance between crackouts and yield. “For example, 

the Nelmacs give a higher crackout but a lower yield and 

the Beaumonts are the other way around. It is important to 

spread your risk between the cultivars too. Beaumonts can 

take a bit of hail, while the other cultivars are sensitive to it. 

I also find that planting a mix of varieties in one block gives 

better cross pollination and therefore higher production. 

I plant four rows of Beaumont and one row of A4.” 

IRRIGATION 

Mare has installed drip irrigation in his orchards to reduce 

water usage. The drip system also requires a lower water flow 

than micro irrigation which means the whole farm can be 

irrigated at once, instead of block by block as would be the 

case with micro irrigation. 

Mare further points out that micro irrigation is more 

expensive as the pipes are thicker and the system uses more 

water. Around 80mm of water is applied every week. The drip 

system does not wet the entire area around the tree. Rusty 

explains that the tree learns where the water and nutrients are 

coming from so it sends out hair roots which start growing 

in those areas. These roots then feed the whole tree. Liquid 

fertiliser is applied through the irrigation system. Soil and 

leaf analysis is done in November and a fertiliser programme 

is worked out accordingly. 

IT’S WHAT YOU PUT IN 

Mare does soil samples before planting or applying anything 

to the soil. “I first determine what is already in the soil before 

just applying fertilisers. I need to know what the base is. 

For the next few decades growers are going to work hard 

to get everything they can out of their orchards so your 

soil needs to be at its optimum from the start. Otherwise 

it is a struggle year in and year out to get the soil to 

where it should be.” Mare first determines the pH of the 

soil. At 4.1 pH the soil is acidic soil which requires lime 

applications at 4 tons per hectare and phosphate at 100kg 

per hectare. He says chicken manure is also effective to build 

up carbon in the soil. He has specific prescriptions worked 

out for each block, which he combines with the chicken 

manure. This is applied to the soil in August. 

Mare believes if the soil is at its optimum then the costs on the 

leaves are less. Generally nutrition for leaves is applied in the 

form of manganese, calcium, boron and iron. This is applied 

as a spray, which then gets the “nut factory” at its optimal 

before the tree must start producing. Mare applies nitrogen 

more regularly, but in smaller quantities three times a year, 

rather than a big amount once a year as it is more effectively 

absorbed this way. His meticulous way of farming has paid 

off and his yields and crackouts are far above industry average 

of 3,5 tons per hectare nut-in-shell (NIS). Mare achieves an 

average of 5,1 tons NIS per hectare across the varieties, with 

the Beaumonts going up to 6,3 tons NIS per hectare and 

the Nelmac and 816’s around 4,9 tons NIS per hectare. He 

averages an unsound kernel recovery of 1,6% and a crackout 

of around 42% sound kernel recovery across the varieties, 

while the industry average is 3% and 36% respectively. 

“ 

It’s not just one thing that needs 

to be done; it’s a whole bunch of 

boxes that need to be ticked to 

produce a good crop. I do a lot of 

fine tuning in my orchards. There 

are short cuts and cheaper ways to 

do things, but for every rand you 

spend in the orchard you get back 

ten times in yield. The extra effort 

shows in my yield and crackouts. ” 

- Rusty Mare 

34 



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NEED EXPERT ADVICE TO 

MAXIMIZE YOUR REVENUE 

PER HECTARE? 

Mayo Macs growers have consistently 

outperformed the industry in yield and 

sound kernel, confirming the world class 

status of Mayo’s extension services. 

Mayo Macs delivers the very best to farmers in price, processor 

expertise, sustainability, and extension services. 

Become a shareholder of Mayo Macs today and own an exciting 

future in Macadamias. 

Contact Mayo Macs today! 

www.mayomacs.co.za | email: info@mayomacs.co.za 

MPUMALANGA/LIMPOPO/CAPE 

Theunis Smit: 084 919 5717 

KZN 

Andrew Sheard: 083 784 3627 

Rohan Orford: 076 437 2956

Macadamia SA - Autumn 2018

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