Nestled in the Glasshouse Mountains in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, the Fullerton family of macadamia growers are finally beginning to reap the benefits of the seeds they sowed almost 20 years ago.
“Historically, we’re pineapple and citrus growers,” said farm owner Lindsay Fullerton.
“But in 1995 we pushed out all the citrus and started planting macadamia trees in 1997.”
Since then, Mr Fullerton and his family have been planting up to 4000 trees annually on their 485-hectare property.
Two decades on, Fullerton Farms now has more than 40,000 trees, most of which have hit full production.
“We didn’t turn a profit on macadamias until 2012 – it was a long, long wait,” he said.
Mr Fullerton said 2015 had delivered a particularly good season for the native nut.
“It’s been a much better year than the last few,” he said.
“Purely because of the weather ... we had a half decent spring this year.”
He estimated a harvest increase of between 50 and 100 tonnes, which is significant given the producer’s yearly yield is about 400 tonnes in shell.
“But it’s not only the tonnage, it’s the quality,” Mr Fullerton said.
“Last year the macadamias didn’t get enough moisture – but this year they’re perfect.”
The picturesque farm has been in the Fullerton family since Lindsay’s grandfather, who immigrated from Scotland, settled there in 1914.
Today Lindsay runs the property with his son, Robert, and three cousins, who make up the farm’s fourth generation.
While roughly half of the property’s production is now dedicated to macadamias, the other half is still dedicated to their primary product, pineapples, of which they produce between 6000 and 7000 tonnes a year.
“About half of our pineapples go to Golden Circle, and the other goes to fresh fruit markets all over Australia,” Mr Fullerton said.
After being harvested, dehusked and dried, most of the macadamias go to Nutworks, a processing and value-adding facility in Yandina.
“We partially own that facility, so it’s vertically integrated with our supply at the farm,” he said.
Mr Fullerton said macadamia production was an attractive option because it was an export-driven industry.
“That means we are not at the mercy of the supermarkets and their predatory pricing policy towards horticultural and agricultural products,” he said.
Lately however, the price of macadamias had been pushed up because of increasing demand from China, Mr Fullerton said.
“I think the sustainable price is about $2.50-$3 a kilo,” he said.
“But at the moment, it’s sitting closer to $5.”
However, at least for now, that price doesn’t seem to be slowing things down at Fullerton Farms.
“We’ve just hit a golden patch, where we’re starting to make some significant money with macadamias,” Mr Fullerton said.
“We’re generating an income – it’s making life easier.”
He attributed the breakthrough to “long-term planning, and commitment to the macadamia industry”, before adding, “and it’s handy to have a good crop with bumper prices”.
