The People’s Committee of Krong Nang District of Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Wednesday held a ceremony to ship the first macadamia batch to Japan, one of the largest buyers of macadamia in the world.

This is the first macadamia batch shipped to Japan via official channels.

The shipment, including more than 2,200 boxes of dried macadamia weighing over six tons, was sent by Damaca Nguyen Phuong JSC to its Japanese partner Olty Co. Ltd.

Speaking at the ceremony, Otsuka Tokuro, director of Olty Co. Ltd., said he knows Vietnam’s macadamia through his Vietnamese assistant whose native land is Dak Lak.

“That was the first time I saw in-shell macadamia. When I tried the nuts, I found that they are crisp and have a buttery taste,” Otsuka talked about his impression about Dak Lak’s macadamia.

He said that after he imported a small volume of macadamia and introduced it to the Japanese market, the product was preferred in the Northeast Asian country, so a deal on the export of the first macadamia batch to Japan was inked.

On December 1, Olty Co. Ltd. will put the product on shelves of 180 large supermarkets in Japan.

In addition, Olty will introduce the product at Japan’s largest food fair in February next year. The product will be introduced and distributed to many retailers across Japan.

Farmers in Dak Lak Province have opportunities to enrich themselves thanks to macadamia. Photo: The The / Tuoi Tre

“The competition will be fiercer, so the product’s quality should be maintained so that consumers will be provided with the best product,” Otsuka said.

According to Luu Van Khoi, director of the Dak Lak Department of Industry and Trade, the official export of macadamia to such a selective market as Japan will open up opportunities for enterprises in Dak Lak.

“This will also help local farmers earn higher profits from such speciality,” Khoi added.

According to the People’s Committee of Krong Nang District, macadamia trees have been planted in the district since 2003 under a pilot plan launched by the Vietnam Administration of Forestry. 

In particular, macadamia trees were planted in coffee gardens in Dlie Ya and Phu Loc Communes with a total area of nearly four hectares.

To date, Krong Nang District is home to some 2,400 hectares of macadamia, including more than 250 hectares of macadamia farms.

As for the remaining area, macadamia is planted under the companion planting method.

Over 1,000 hectares of macadamia have produced output with a yield of 1,790 kilograms per hectare.

With a price of VND95,000-105,000 (US$3.8-4.2) per kilogram of fresh macadamia, farmers can earn some VND120 million ($4,844) per hectare.

Thanks to the export of the first macadamia batch, markets for the product will be definitely expanded and its price will be higher, raising farmers’ incomes.

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