More and more banana farmers in KwaZulu-Natal are looking into macadamia cultivation. The nuts seem to offer farmers a longer, more sustainable and balanced risk solution compared to bananas. They are also less labor-intensive and costly to farm and profit margins are slightly higher For KwaZulu-Natal in particular, the demand for bananas has been impacted by competing countries such as Mozambique and Swaziland, which are both banana-growing regions.
James Miller, chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Banana Company, has stated there is worldwide a growing demand for macadamia nuts. This demand has seen a number of South African farmers shift to macadamia nut farming. He did so himself. The demand patterns have seen him convert 50% of his farm to macadamias, keeping the remainder as a banana plantation. Miller said if farmers are not exclusively changing to macadamia production, then they are combing with other agricultural produce.
Source: foodformzansi.co.za
