Is AgTech the right tech for Macadamia farming?
Is AgTech the right tech for Macadamia farming?
A quick stab at an intro...
The macadamia industry at large is fast-growing and expanding into both new and traditional cultivation territories.
Main areas of cultivation include Australia (the home of the Macadamia), Hawaii, Southern Africa, and parts of Asia.
This sought-after, nutritious, and delectable nut currently makes up a tiny portion of total nut consumption around the world, competing for market share alongside the popular and mainstream nut types we all know and enjoy such as walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, and almonds.
Although several sources (like this one) state that “some” macadamia nuts are produced by African countries, this is a massive understatement as South Africa alone is the world leader in Macadamia nut production (2021 stats), with countries like Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi being other top producers on the continent.
Southern African territories is where most of my experiential knowledge about macadamia farming comes from, although I do some liaising with key contacts in places like Australia and the US from time to time.
All my knowledge outside of "in-field" experiences is largely gleaned from my own online and literary research into Macadamia farming, UAV tech, and Mac farming best practices - although the more I read, the more I realise said practices are ever-changing and guidelines are always improving as we learn more and more about this unique crop.
All in all, one has to admit that large-scale farming of macadamias has come a long way in the past few decades, and in the past couple years especially so, mainly in terms of leveraging new-age technologies. And it’s about time.... With the need to cultivate high-value crops (read: highly nutritious crops) at scale for an ever-growing world population, farmers are continuing to leverage available and developing technologies for increased and sustainable yields.
This is no different for macadamia farmers, and there has been a steady uptick in use of remote in-field sensors, automated water distribution systems, climate sensors, variable rate applications, and overhead tree canopy scans via drone or satellite. Utilising these types of tech have become almost commonplace; especially for larger operations where the need to remotely monitor and manage vast tracts of land with fewer people is becoming the norm.
As the availability of precision agricultural technologies has improved (and access to both hardware and software) the roles, reliability, and rationale behind the use of UAVs in agriculture has become a trendy topic, often hotly debated, or in some instances simply dismissed as a fad by sceptics.
I’ve had the privilege of collaborating and working with various stakeholders along the complete Macadamia supply chain, and then some. This provides me with a unique view into how data is being leveraged for business optimisations in a variety of situations, and perspectives from both orchards and boardrooms alike is that new technologies in the AgTech world - especially drone technologies - are only at the tip of the iceberg in terms of value added to operations, with so much more to come.
My hope is to bring these insights and curiosities to the most resourceful of farmers and newbies alike, for the good of the macadamia industry all around the world. The possibilities that lie ahead of us offer us exciting and encouraging prospects of farming smarter and more sustainably each and every season. Join me as we delve into the wonderful world of drones and modern high-precision farming.
Till next time,