Growing pains for Tasmania's hazelnut industry

Tasmania’s hazelnut production is not keeping up with demand and the owner of the state’s largest orchard is concerned there are not enough growers to support the emerging industry.

The Hazelnut Growers of Australia National Conference recently took place at the Sebel in Launceston.

The event included the presentations of the 11 research and development projects that form part of the Australian Hazelnut Program of Research (AUSHAZ).

The program aims to boost hazelnut production nationally, which in 2024 sat around 544 tonnes with a farmgate price value of $5.5 million.

In the next decade, the industry hopes to reach 5000 tonnes of production annually.

As part of the national conference, delegates visited Hazelbrae Hazelnuts at Hagley – an orchard that owner Christie McLeod said produced around 44 tonnes of nuts this year.

“We just need more people with more trees,” Ms McLeod said.

“There’s more demand than we’re currently satisfying.”

Ms McLeod estimated that Tasmania produced 60 tonnes of nuts during the hazelnut harvesting season earlier this year.

“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.

“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.

“There’s lots of potential, but we need to see more larger orchards being established.”

Getting a hazelnut orchard started is what Ms McLeod said was the most challenging part for growers.

“But once the orchard is established, it’s quite a good crop to have.”

Hazelnut Growers of Australia executive officer Trevor Ranford said despite growing pains the industry in Tasmania was very strong.

“The state is an important part of the nation’s total industry,” Mr Ranford said.

“There are probably close to a dozen growers in Tasmania and Hazelbrae has probably got one of the larger orchards in Australia.”

Mr Ranford said Australia’s hazelnut sector was relatively small in comparison to most other horticultural industries.

“But it’s got a real opportunity to develop and expand over the coming years.

“Part of the AUSHAZ is to look at what information is needed to both assist current and potential growers to increase volumes.”