Hazelnut industry expansion

Summary

Global awareness of the health benefits of nuts, including hazelnuts, is driving an increased demand for nuts and nut products. The Australian hazelnut industry is one of the fastest growing tree nut industries in Australia, with planting area increasing from 144 ha to 2144 ha since 2011 (ANIC, 2014).

Hazelnuts are purchased for consumption both in shell and as a kernel. Hazelnuts are a major ingredient in some international confectionary brands and are also used in baking and cooking. A small niche market exists for hazelnut oils.

This information package is supplementary to the high resolution maps available online. The information provided should be used as a guide to find potential regions for expansion. However, specific and comprehensive site analysis must precede the final decision regarding site suitability for any orchard establishment.

A further use of this work would be to provide information of suitable regions for sentinel plantings to determine the most appropriate regions for expansion of the Australian hazelnut industry.