Welcome to Macadamia information center

The Highland Macadamia Cooperative Union Limited (HIMACUL) represents smallholder macadamia growers in Malawi. With 3800 members spread out all over the country and partners in other countries too we have gone about setting up an area where information and news can be posted and commented on.

Smallholder macadamia groups are throughout the country in Mulanje, Neno, Mwanza, Dowa, Ntchisi and Rumphi. Through investing in cooperatives and associations the annual establishment has risen to 70,000 trees a year and over 1000 Ha is currently under smallholder management in the country. The majority of this crop has been established in the last 4 years. Kernel volumes are at present small but will grow significantly as this crop matures.

Friday, October 28

10 reasons why oppose the setting of Fair Trade Minimum Prices for NIS


  1. Only after processing can the true value of NIS be determined
  2. Encourage early picking i.e. increase proportion of immature nut in factory consignments
  3. Predatory trading, enable buying from individual farmers undermining smallholder organisations
  4. Create a parallel value chain which will confuse farmers, organisations, factories and market
  5. 'NIS' in terms of grading, handling and moisture content has not been defined but kernel styles are recognized throughout the value chain
  6. It is unclear at who will be responsible for monitoring NIS purchases
  7. The quality chain will be broken making factories unable to feed back quality results to farmers enabling them to improve quality
  8. Traceability chain will be less accurate and reliable to inform market
  9. Cooperatives have no power to influence the value chain if they simply sell NIS to a factory
  10. Opens door for estate sources of macadamia to enter Fair Trade supply chains before smallholders have been given an opportunity to supply these markets
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