THE horticultural industry in Tanzania is experiencing rapid changes as it turns its attention to the macadamia nut—a perishable but nutritionally rich and commercially valuable crop.

Dr. Jacqueline Mkindi, the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) chief executive officer, declared over the weekend that macadamia presents a new value chain in the horticultural sub-sector, thanks to more than six years of dedicated research and considerable investment.

For years, TAHA has quietly collaborated with strategic investors to establish a macadamia value chain in northern Tanzania and is now confident that the nut can be grown on a commercial scale, she stated.

"After six years of rigorous scientific experiments, hard work and significant investor funding, the macadamia crop is now ready for commercial-scale farming," she affirmed at a press conference here. 

Macadamia trees thrive in agricultural zones with altitudes between 1,000 and 1,500 meters above sea level, complemented by average rainfall and temperate climates—conditions found in regions in three northern regions, the southern highlands and partially the Lake Zone, she stated.

Climatic and soil conditions are suited for macadamia cultivation in many regions, capable of producing remarkable yields of 42 nuts per tree bunch compared to the average 22 nuts with the right inputs, she said.

Cultivating macadamias is not a soft option as establishing orchards requires substantial investment and solid commitment, as trees take about five years to yield a worthwhile harvest, she said, pointing at optimal costs for one acre at $2,400 and potentially capable of earn $12,000 in the season if the harvest and marketing are right.

"Investing $24,000 to plant ten acres of macadamia can yield returns of $120,000 per year once the nuts are ripe," she further noted, describing macadamia as “truly the crop of the future.”

TAHA will provide tailored practical guidance to help those taking up the crop to navigate the complexities of commercial cultivation in the burgeoning industry, she stated,

Hussein Gonga, a pioneering farmer in the new field, said that despite their premium pricing, macadamias' high cost is justified by their exceptional nutritional value and limited supply.

Growing on trees like most nuts, the crop require a considerable lead-time from planting to harvest,  taking five to six years to reach maturity and begin yielding nuts.

The high-value nut is most sought in China, the United States and Europe, he added.