Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with macadamia nuts being an important crop. Macadamia farming began in Malawi in the 1950s and has since expanded, though it faces threats from forex shortages, transportation challenges, pest damage, and theft. Macadamia growers also support their local communities through initiatives providing healthcare, nutrition, education, housing, and reforestation assistance.

1. TREE NUT GROWERS
ASSOCIATION OF MALAWI

2. Malawi Facts
Official name: Republic of Malawi.
Form of government: multiparty republic with one legislative house
(National Assembly [177]).
Head of state and government: President.
Population (2008): 13,066,320
Population projection: (2010) 13,610,197
Natural increase rate : 2.06% pa
90% employed in Agriculture
Amongst the 10 poorest countries in the World (7th)
Land use :
Arable land 23.38%,
Permanent Crops 1.49%,
Other 75.13%

3. • The Country was a British Colony until independence in 1964.Its independence was
negotiated relatively peacefully by Dr Hastings Banda and the Malawi Congress
Party
• The flag of the Malawi Congress Party was striped black for the African people, red
for the blood of martyrs, and green for the vegetation and climate.
• The country's name means "flaming waters," referring to the setting sun on Lake
Malawi.
• With independence on July 6, 1964, a new flag was created by adding the sun
symbol to the party flag.

5. HISTORY OF MACADAMIA IN
MALAWI
• Bvumbwe Research Station started planting Macs for evaluation in 1941.
• First recorded commercial plantings occurred in the Thyolo area of Malawi in 1950
on what is now Kumadzi Estate owned by Linton Park PLC by Mr. William Mac
Farlane Oddy a Scotsman who is buried on the Estate. The origins of these trees is
not known but suspected to have been imported from Hawaii.
• Macadamia expansion took place on the Tea Estates in places that were not suited to
Tea, Coffee and in some cases Eucalyptus plantations .
• The use of Mother Bushes and approach grafting was the preferred method of
propagation but VP and budding has been tried in recent years.
• In the late 1980’s the Commonwealth Development Corporation imported new clonal
material to its Sable Farming Estates outside Blantyre and these were made
available to other growers in the country over the years .
• Most of the Macadamia grown in Malawi is rain fed with a small irrigated area in
Northern Malawi on Kawalazi Estate.

6. DISTRIBUTION OF GROWING AREAS IN MALAWI

7. HECTERAGE AND TREE
NUMBERS
Large Scale Commercial Estates
5,224 Hectare
1,069,374 Trees
Average Estate Size = 1045 Hectares (5 Estates)
Small Scale Commercial Farms
56 Hectares
18,751 Trees
Average Farm Size 18.66 Hectares (3 Farms)

8. Hecterage
8000
7000
6000
5000
Hecterage
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

9. DRY NUT IN SHELL @1.5%MC
excludes Smallholders as no data available.
• 2010 8020 tonnes
(recovery from drought of 2009)
• 2011 5369 tonnes
• 2012 6035 tonnes (expected)
• 2013 7140 tonnes (projected)
(no projections beyond 2013)

10. PRODUCTION NIH,DNIS,KERNEL
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Nut in Husk Nut in Shell @ 1.5%mc Saleable Kernel(exported)

11. PLANT SPACINGS
• Original plantings in the 1960’s,1970’and into the 1980’s were at 10 meters by
10 meters or 100 trees per hectare
• In the 1990’s this changed to 10 meters by 5 meters in the row or 200 trees
per ha.
• The current plantings for the Industry works out at an average of 207 trees per
ha so its safe to assume a majority plant spacing of 10 meters by 5 meters.
• In the last 20 years these spacing's have changed to 8 meters by 6 meters and
7 meters by 5 meters but with a lack of cold winters and growth throughout
the year moisture prevailing - the rows are closing up and in some cases
thinning has had to be done in alternate rows before 9 years of age to allow
for Tractor/Sprayer access.
• Most Estates are doing skirting and selective limb removal for light in their
plantations and one large grower has a policy of replanting 3% to 5% of their
1415 ha some 45 to 75 hectares annually as a way to ensure continuing
sustainability and the move to newer clonal material that is available. Most
Estates are replanting small areas or doing new plantings annually.

12. CLONES PLANTED
Currently the following clones are available and being planted out in
Malawi in varying numbers depending on their assessment on quality
and suitability for the Malawi growing environment
246,333,344,508,660,781,792,812,863,
887,Daddow,705,741,772,783,788,800,
816,842,849,791,A4,A16,A268,A199,
814,845,828,X18,835,836,837,789,790,
834,783,804,695,HCH,Own Venture,
NGR 43,

13. MALAWI MACADAMIA - TREE NUMBERS
1400000
1200000
1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Total Trees Trees > 6 Years Trees > 6 Years Trees 1 Year Old

14. NEW EXPANSION AREA
in Mulanje,Mchinji & Ntaja Area
• A SMALL HOLDER INITIATIVE TO REDUCE POVERTY,PROVIDE FUEL
WOOD,REDUCE CUTTING OF INDIGENOUS FOREST, AND POSSIBLY
CARBON SEQUESTRATION BENEFITS.THE NGO – EQUAL EXCHANGE
AND THE MULANJE MOUNTAIN TRUST ARE THE FACILITATORS WITH
HELP FROM COMMERCIAL GROWERS.
• IN THE MCHINJI AREA TO THE WEST OF LILONGWE ALONG THE
ZAMBIAN BORDER THERE IS A PLANNED 2,000 HA EXPANSION IN
PROGRESS ON COMMERCIAL TOBACCO FARMS AND AT NTAJA TO
THE EAST OF LAKE MALAWI ANOTHER 500 TO 700 HECTARES ON
COMMERCIAL TOBACCO FARMS IS ALSO TAKING PALCE.
• THERE ARE OTHER TOBACCO FARMERS LOOKING AT CONVERTING
TOBACCO TO MACADAMIA IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

15. Mt Mulanje

16. Mt Mulanje expansion area

17. POTENTIAL THREATS TO MACADAMIA
VIABILITY
1. Forex Shortages as a result of low exports volumes of Agricultural
Commodities - Malawi's mainstay for the U$ generation
2.Road lengths to Ports ,Transport and Container availability. The lack
of imports due to forex is making Container availably an issue
3.Reduction in SK% due to lack of P & D Control and Capex
on Spraying Machinery. Post Harvest Damage
4.Pest incidence – no winter kill.
5.Theft.Chinese Traders now becoming a major problem.
6.Fire Hazard in Winters

18. Insufficient forex from agriculture & we are net
importers reliant on foreign aid most years to
balance the Government budget deficits

19. Long routes to ports through Mozambique
,Zimbabwe and South Africa

20. Containers for exports in short supply due to lack
of imports

21. • Effect of Insect damage on yields
45.0
44.0
43.0 SK % Target,Mean,Highest,Lowest
42.0
41.0
40.0
39.0 38.96 38.96 38.96 38.96 38.96 38.96 38.96 38.96 38.96
38.0
37.0 Comparison : Mean Potential vs. TNGA ave mean vs. best vs worst
36.0
35.0
34.0 33.8 33.96
33.0
32.0 32.4 31.9 31.9 32.1
31.0
31.7 31.5
30.0
29.0
29.6
28.0
27.0 27.3 27.2 26.7 26.7
26.0 26.3 26.4
25.0 25.3
24.0 24.2 24.2 24.0 24.2 24.6
23.0 22.9
22.0 22.6
21.0
20.0
19.0 19.0 18.7
18.0
17.0
16.0 16.08
15.0 15.1
14.0
13.0
12.0
11.0
10.0

22. Knockdown Results 10 trees in 10ha block

23. Theft of NIS and the informal cracking ,roasting
and sale on the road side a growing problem.

24. Estates have grown thorn hedges around fields
to reduce access and control theft.

25. Seasonal hunting for mice (a local delicacy) by the villagers
surrounding the Estates by smoking them from their burrows
results in Plantation fires sweeping through the grass cover that
is dry from lack of winter rains and damaging trees.

26. THE OTHER PART OF MAC FARMING IN
MALAWI
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Health
• Nutrition
• Education
• Housing
• Re Aforestation
• Community Assistance

28. Provision of basic health care on Estates for all
employees and their dependants and children
under 5 clinics and vaccinations.

29. Employees are educated by Health Surveillance
assistant on the benefits of locally available
indigenous plants as a valuable food source

30. Patients that require specialised medical treatment not
available at the Estate Clinic are referred to local
District Hospitals and transported there by the Estates
dedicated ambulance service.

31. Estates provide basic mid day meals for
all employees every day.

33. Traditional Housing in the Rural Area’s of Malawi

34. An example of housing to be found on some Estates

35. Estates set aside indigenous bush areas and maintain
them as plants and tree bark are collected by local
traditional healers for their medicines.

36. THE FUTURE FOR MACADAMIA IN MALAWI
As is the case with farming all over the world each community
has its own and common problems which makes it such a
challenging and rewarding way of life and the same is true of
farming here in Malawi and whilst our Macs are relatively young
we have blocks of Tea that are in excess of 100 years of age
We are a viable industry and are planning to be here for the
duration.

37. On behalf of the TNGA and all Macadamia Growers in Malawi
may we wish you success in your deliberations and our sincere
apologies for not being represented at the symposium – Thank
you - ZIGOMO from the warm heart of Africa.