Page 25 - Food&Drink Magazine May 2022

used to improve soil health and structure on macadamia farms. Trees are pruned to promote grass growth between the trees on the orchard floor to reduce erosion.
• Waste minimisation – Marquis Macadamias ensures the whole nut is used in production. On farm, growers add the macadamia husk under trees to improve soil health and to compost mixes. When pruning, growers chip branchestouseasmulch.All
macadamia shell from the factories is used either as renewable fuel to provide energy to dry nut-in-shell or is milled into stockfeed.
• Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) – IPDM is central to successful and sustainable pest and disease management. IPDM involves careful monitoring of crops to identify areas of pest and/or disease activity. If monitoring finds that pest and/or pressureisabovecritical
thresholds, these areas are targeted with various control strategies. Where appropriate, Marquis growers focus on maximising the use of cultural and biological control agents to minimise the use of pesticides.
• Integrated Orchard Management (IOM) – On farm, Marquis Macadamias growers use IOM, which combines three fundamental pillars of orchard management:drainage,
orchard floor management and canopy management. These pillars work together to minimise soil erosion, build soil health, reduce orchard suitability for pests, increase biodiversity and habitat for beneficial insects, and ensure healthy and productive trees.
• Self-Audit System – Marquis Macadamias has a self- audited quality improvement system in place that all Marquis Macadamias growers must complete at the start of each year.
For Hinkler and Marquis, setting industry standards for sustainable production is a nut theyarewillingtocrack. ✷
ORGANICS & NATURALS
LEFT: Earl Yandall and Clayton Mattiazzi at Hinkler Plantations.
BOTTOM LEFT: Restoring soil health has been critical to Hinkler’s success.
BELOW: Every part of the nut is used.
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | May 2022 | Food&Drink business | 25
ua.moc.sserpekydnav
ua.moc.sserpekydnav@pdv
6665 8399 2 16 + :hP
SLEBAL DLUOM NI
GNIDDIL DEF LLOR & TUC EID
GNIGAKCAP