In celebration of World Macadamia Nut Day on Saturday 4th September, the Australian and South African Marquis Group has donated macadamia trees for planting at local schools in the world’s biggest macadamia producing regions. The Group also ran education sessions regarding sustainability practices in macadamia growing and processing for the students.
Marquis Macadamias Africa donated trees to Bergvlam High School in the key growing region of Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. The significance of the macadamia industry was highlighted to the children, detailing the enormous job creation ability of the industry and the foreign exchange earned for the country.
The grade eight students were appointed custodians of the macadamia trees and will have the opportunity to care for the trees over their next five years of schooling. In conjunction with the donation of native macadamia trees, Marquis Macadamias Australia donated $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.
In 2021, Marquis identified World Macadamia Nut Day as an opportunity to educate the next generation in their growing regions. Chief Executive Officer of the Marquis Group, Larry McHugh, says that World Macadamia Nut Day is a chance to celebrate both the macadamia 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 across the world to their willingness to adopt innovative equipment and embrace the natural resources available to them. At the Marquis Group 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.”
The Marquis Group is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and 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.
For more information:
Marquis Group
www.marquis.com