Tasmania's hazelnut production continues to fall short of demand, with industry leaders warning that more growers are needed to support long-term growth. The issue was highlighted during the recent Hazelnut Growers of Australia National Conference, held at the Sebel in Launceston.
The event featured updates on 11 research and development projects under the Australian Hazelnut Program of Research (AUSHAZ), which aims to strengthen national production and improve grower knowledge.
Australia's current hazelnut production stands at around 544 tons, valued at about US$3.6 million. The sector has set a target to increase output to 5,000 tons annually within the next decade.
As part of the conference, delegates visited Hazelbrae Hazelnuts in Hagley, the state's largest orchard. Owner Christie McLeod said the farm produced about 44 tons this season. "We just need more people with more trees," she said. "There's more demand than we're currently satisfying."
McLeod estimated that Tasmania's total production reached 60 tons during this year's harvest. "I think we discovered at the conference that we're probably the biggest producer in the state this year," she said. "It's an emerging and very young industry."
She explained that establishing an orchard is one of the main challenges for growers. "It takes around 10 years to get commercial yields from the time you start planting your orchard to getting them established enough to be viable," McLeod said. "There's lots of potential, but we need to see more larger orchards being established."
Once orchards are established, she added, hazelnuts can be a manageable crop. "But once the orchard is established, it's quite a good crop to have."
Hazelnut Growers of Australia executive officer Trevor Ranford said the Tasmanian industry remains an important contributor to the national total. "The state is an important part of the nation's total industry," he said. "There are probably close to a dozen growers in Tasmania, and Hazelbrae has probably got one of the larger orchards in Australia."
Ranford noted that the national hazelnut sector is relatively small compared to other horticultural industries but remains well-positioned for expansion. "It's got a real opportunity to develop and expand over the coming years," he said.
"Part of the AUSHAZ is to look at what information is needed to both assist current and potential growers to increase volumes."
Source: Tasmanian Country
