I­­n celebration of World Macadamia Nut Day on Saturday 4th September, Marquis Macadamias has donated six rare, native macadamia trees for planting at local Bundaberg schools.

Students at St Luke’s Anglican School, Oakwood State School, Gooburrum State School, Sharon State School, Kepnock State High School and Shalom College will be receiving macadamia trees this week, with Marquis Macadamias Australia Director Clayton Mattiazzi sharing  sustainability practices in macadamia growing and processing with the students at St Luke’s Anglican School.

The trees Marquis is donating are Rough-shelled Macadamia (macadamia tetraphylla) trees, one of the native wild macadamia species that the Macadamia Conservation Trust is working to preserve. Although used in cultivation, the tetraphylla is listed as Vulnerable in the wild.

In conjunction with the donation of native macadamia trees, Marquis Macadamias (Australia) is donating $10,000 to the Macadamia Conservation Trust in support of conserving Australian wild macadamia trees in their native habitat. Conserving wild species plays an important role in supporting the macadamia industry, with the genetic diversity among wild plants helping the industry adapt to changes in weather patterns, emerging pests and possible diseases.

Marquis Macadamias has a strong history of supporting the Trust, donating more than $60,000 to the conservation efforts since 2015.

In 2021, Marquis identified World Macadamia Nut Day as an opportunity to educate the next generation in their growing regions.

Bundaberg is the fastest growing macadamia region in Australia, producing 20,000 tonnes annually and contributing 40% to the national macadamia crop in 2020.

Educating the next generation of Bundaberg’s locals through this initiative is paramount in ensuring the region remains the hub of Macadamia growing.

Marquis Macadamias Australia CEO, Larry McHugh, says that World Macadamia Nut Day is a chance to celebrate both the Australian native nut and the farmers who grow them.

“Celebrating the macadamia nut is not just about recognising its versatility and health benefits, it is also a chance for us to recognise and advocate for the sustainable production of macadamia nuts.” says Mr McHugh.

“We attribute the success of macadamia nut growers to their willingness to adopt innovative equipment and embrace the natural resources available to them.

“At Marquis Macadamias, we believe in sustainable processes – for us, this means using the whole nut, including the husk and shell, to make sure that we are maximising the versatility of macadamias.

“Marquis has a long track record of driving innovation and technology change within our processing facilities, as well as working with growers to improve their on-farm practices and increase productivity.

“This keeps our facilities leading the industry to continually set the standards and shape the methods used for processing macadamias.”

  Marquis Macadamia (South Africa) is also donating macadamia trees to schools in South Africa’s Alkmaar and Lows Creek growing regions.

The Marquis Group is committed to reducing its environmental footprint by not only meeting the needs of the present but preserving the land for the future through a range of on-farm and in-facility initiatives.

The initiatives focus on ensuring healthy land and soils, optimising water, energy and electricity usage, waste management, and orchard management.

The Marquis Group is a global leader in the sustainable production, supply and marketing of Macadamias, and recently announced plans to invest AU$35 million (US$26.1 million) into new production capacity and pasteurisation technology across its global operations.  The investments include AU$30 million (US$22.4 million) to build new cold storage, and specialised bulk drying and packing facilities at its Bundaberg processing facility in Queensland, Australia, and more than AU$1.5 million (US$1.1 million) to install a Napasol pasteurisation unit at its Lows Creek, South Africa facility.