The hazelnut industry has one of the best growth opportunities of any horticultural crop in Australia and growers across the country are reporting strong results for the past season.
Overall the 2025 harvest was very positive and total national production is expected to be up on approximately 544 tonnes of in-shell hazelnuts produced in 2024 with a farm-gate value of $5.5 million. While many growers saw increased nut production including one Tasmanian grower reporting their best-ever yield at 41 tonnes, a number of growers continue to be impacted by crop losses from high bird populations.
“The main objective of our Association is the implementation of a plan that sees the domestic hazelnut production grow to at last 5,000 tonnes over the next decade” said Trevor Ranford, Executive/Communications Officer, Hazelnut Growers of Australia (HGA). “The growth of our industry is occurring in the cool climate regions of Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.”
Implementation of a strong communications strategy is important for the expansion of Australia’s hazelnut industry. The HGA website has just been relaunched where consumers, growers and prospective investors can obtain a wealth of information about hazelnuts alongside the Association’s social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
This year’s annual conference of the Hazelnut Growers Association has been planned for 10-12 October in Launceston, Tasmania. A key highlight will be updates from the eleven R&D projects of the Australian Hazelnut Program of Research (AUSHAZ) funded by AgriFutures Australia and managed by Charles Sturt University, which aims to boost national hazelnut production. Topics will include benchmarking, sustainability, value-adding, tree mapping, pests and diseases and new technologies.
“Any individual or business interested in learning about the future of Australia’s hazelnut industry can find out more information about the 2025 Australian Hazelnut Conference and register to attend via our website,” Mr Ranford added.
Contact: Trevor Ranford, Executive/Communications Officer, Hazelnut Growers of Australia Mobile: 0417 809 172 Email: sahort@bigpond.com
