A basis for temperate nut industries’ expansion

Summary

The Australian temperate nut industries (almond, chestnut, hazelnut, pecan, pistachio and walnut) have experienced unprecedented growth over the last decade.

The farm-gate value of the Australian temperate nut industry 2014/15 crop farmgate value reached $1.2 billion thanks to global demand, strong Australian production and an increasing market value for nuts and nut products.

The high quality and relatively low pest and disease issues make Australian nuts a highly valued product in international markets and industry expansion is expected to continue.

Nut trees can be grown across many areas, however, growing high-yield, profitable nut trees demands optimal climatic and agronomic conditions.

In lieu of this, potentially suitable regions for temperate nut industries' expansion throughout Australia have been modelled using bioclimatology – the study of the effects of climate on living organisms.