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The US paid the most for macadamia nuts in Q2 2026: USD 8,123/MT, up 2.7% from USD 7,906 in Q1. The steady premium snack-food demand kept things firm there. Worldwide, the average moved up 2.6%, to USD 6,931/MT from USD 6,753, largely because the harvest-season weather across the major producing regions ran a bit tighter than usual this year. What about H2 2026? We'd expect a global average somewhere in the USD 6,850-7,430/MT range, with the steady premium snack-food and confectionery demand doing most of the work.
Macadamia nuts grow on trees native to Australia, though South Africa has since become the world's largest producer by volume, with Kenya and the US, concentrated in Hawaii, rounding out the other major growing regions. The nuts are harvested in-shell, then cracked and sorted into kernel grades based on size and quality, or roasted for the premium snack and confectionery trade. Three things move the price more than anything else: the harvest-season weather across the major producing regions, the premium snack-food and confectionery demand, and how much cracking and processing capacity is available to convert in-shell nuts into finished kernels.
The processing step from in-shell to kernel deserves some explanation, since it's a genuinely capital-intensive and technically demanding part of this supply chain. Macadamia shells are exceptionally hard, among the hardest of any commercially grown nut, which requires specialized cracking equipment calibrated carefully to break the shell without damaging the kernel inside. That processing complexity has kept kernel-cracking capacity somewhat concentrated among specialized facilities, adding a real cost layer between the raw in-shell harvest and the finished, market-ready kernel that consumers ultimately buy. Buyers new to this market sometimes underestimate how much that structural detail matters until they see it play out in the pricing data over a full cycle.
The premium positioning of this nut deserves a mention too, since it's consistently one of the most expensive tree nuts traded internationally. Macadamia's rich, buttery flavor and relatively limited global supply, compared to more widely planted nuts like almonds or cashews, have kept it positioned firmly in the premium snack and confectionery segment, a demand base that's stayed resilient even during periods when broader discretionary food spending has softened.
Supply and demand should stay moderately tight through H2 2026, with the harvest-season weather running a bit tighter than usual across several producing regions. Australia and the US both kept the premium snack-food demand steady through H1, and that's likely to continue. Kenya's export volumes kept building as well, while South Africa's large production base kept it the most affordable of the four. None of the four markets we track is showing signs of genuine disruption heading into the back half of the year.
Buyers should keep an eye on cracking and processing capacity specifically, since the technically demanding conversion from in-shell nuts to finished kernels can create bottlenecks independently of how the underlying harvest itself performs.
The premium snack and confectionery demand cycle bears watching too, since macadamia's positioning at the high end of the tree-nut category has generally kept it more insulated from broader commodity-nut price pressures than more widely planted alternatives.
What could push prices higher? A weaker-than-expected harvest in any of the major producing regions, or stronger-than-usual premium snack-food demand. What could pull them lower? A stronger harvest than currently expected across the major producing regions.
| Region | 2026 Price Range (USD/MT) | Outlook |
| Global Average | 6,850 - 7,430 | Tight harvest-season conditions and steady premium demand support |
| South Africa | 6,470 - 7,015 | Large production base keeps South Africa most affordable |
| Australia | 7,360 - 7,975 | Established premium demand |
| Kenya | 6,035 - 6,545 | Growing export volumes |
| United States | 8,050 - 8,730 | Steady premium snack-food demand drives premium |
South Africa's macadamia growers saw firm export demand this quarter, and the gain came to 2.6%, USD 6,371/MT to USD 6,538. That kept South Africa comfortably the most affordable of the four markets given its scale of production.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q2 2026 in South Africa?
The export demand stayed firm, and the harvest-season weather ran a bit tighter than usual across the harvest window.
Australia climbed 2.6% to USD 7,412/MT, the established premium demand continuing to hold steady through the period.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q2 2026 in Australia?
The established premium demand held steady, and that alone explains most of the move here.
Kenya gained 2.6% to USD 6,089/MT, the growing export volumes continuing to build through the period.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q2 2026 in Kenya?
The export volumes kept building, and the harvest-season conditions firmed alongside them.
USD 8,123/MT. That's where the US landed in Q2, up 2.7% from USD 7,906 in Q1. The premium snack-food demand stayed firm, and the tighter harvest conditions pushed things higher.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q2 2026 in United States?
The premium snack-food demand held its ground, and the tighter harvest-season conditions are really what's keeping the US premium as wide as it is.
South African macadamia nuts rose 2.6% to USD 6,371/MT, the export demand firming as the year opened.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q1 2026 in South Africa?
The export demand firmed as the year opened, and the harvest-season outlook tightened right alongside it.
Australian macadamia nuts gained 2.6% to USD 7,227/MT, the premium demand firming with the new year.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q1 2026 in Australia?
The premium snack-food demand firmed with the new year, tracking the confectionery-sector buying closely.
Kenyan macadamia nuts climbed 2.6% to USD 5,934/MT, the export demand building through the quarter.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q1 2026 in Kenya?
The export demand built through the quarter, and the harvest-season conditions firmed alongside it.
US macadamia nuts rose 2.8% to USD 7,906/MT, the premium snack-food demand building through the quarter.
Why did the price of Macadamia Nuts change in Q1 2026 in United States?
The premium snack-food demand built through the quarter, tracking the confectionery-sector activity closely.
The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 6,200/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 6,931 by Q2 2026, a net gain of about 11.8%. Every quarter posted a gain here, reflecting the tighter harvest-season conditions and the steady premium snack-food demand across every market we track, with the pace of the gains picking up noticeably in the most recent two quarters. That kind of steady, uninterrupted climb is worth noting, since it stands in contrast to how choppy some other commodities in this space have looked over the same period.
| Quarter | Price (USD/MT) | QoQ Change | Direction |
| Q2 2026 | 6,931 | +2.6% | ↑ Rising |
| Q1 2026 | 6,753 | +2.6% | ↑ Rising |
| Q4 2025 | 6,579 | +2.0% | ↑ Rising |
| Q3 2025 | 6,450 | +2.0% | ↑ Rising |
| Q2 2025 | 6,324 | +2.0% | ↑ Rising |
| Q1 2025 | 6,200 | - | - Stable |
| Q3 2026 | In Progress | - | - In Progress |
2025 was a steadily firming year for macadamia nuts. Starting near USD 6,200/MT in Q1, the global average finished 2025 at USD 6,579, a gain of about 6.1%. The premium snack-food demand held consistent all year across every market we track, before the pace of gains stayed just as strong once 2026 got underway. The consistency of that pattern across all four regions makes this one of the more predictable premium tree-nut markets we track.
South African prices moved from about USD 5,850/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 6,207 by Q4, up roughly 6.1%. The export demand held steady all year, and South Africa stayed the most affordable of the four markets throughout.
Australian prices climbed from USD 6,650/MT in Q1 to USD 7,046 by Q4, a 6.0% gain, tracking the steady premium demand.
Kenyan prices rose from USD 5,450/MT in Q1 to USD 5,783 by Q4, up 6.1%, as the export volumes kept building through the year.
US prices moved from USD 7,250/MT in Q1 to USD 7,694 by Q4, a 6.1% gain, the highest absolute price throughout the four markets on the steady premium snack-food demand.
Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Macadamia Nuts Price Intelligence
We keep a continuous eye on the macadamia nut prices wherever they're grown or consumed at scale, tracing causation through the harvest-season weather across the major producing regions, the premium snack-food and confectionery demand, and the cracking and processing capacity available to convert in-shell nuts into finished kernels. Our analysts track the specialized processing infrastructure closely, given how technically demanding the shell-cracking step is compared to most other tree nuts. We also flag any material shift in the underlying feedstock or trade-logistics conditions as soon as it becomes apparent. Need pricing data, bespoke market analysis, or procurement advisory? Reach out to our team.
*While we strive to always give you current and accurate information, the numbers depicted on the website are indicative and may differ from the actual numbers in the main report. At Expert Market Research, we aim to bring you the latest insights and trends in the market. Using our analyses and forecasts, stakeholders can understand the market dynamics, navigate challenges, and capitalize on opportunities to make data-driven strategic decisions.*
In Q2 2026, it averaged USD 6,538/MT in South Africa, USD 7,412/MT in Australia, USD 6,089/MT in Kenya, and USD 8,123/MT in the US, with the US the priciest market on steady premium snack-food demand.
The global average climbed from USD 6,579/MT in Q4 2025 to USD 6,753 in Q1 2026, then on to USD 6,931 in Q2, up 5.3% across the half.
The harvest-season weather ran a bit tighter than usual across several major producing regions, while the premium snack-food and confectionery demand held steady to strong across every market tracked.
We're expecting a global average somewhere in the USD 6,850-7,430/MT range, supported by the tight harvest-season conditions and steady premium demand.
The US carries the firmest premium on steady premium snack-food demand. Australia sits close behind on established premium demand. South Africa prices lowest on its large production base.
The harvest-season weather across the major producing regions matters most, followed by the premium snack-food and confectionery demand and the cracking and processing capacity available.
South Africa has become the world's largest producer by volume, though the tree is native to Australia, with Kenya and the US, concentrated in Hawaii, rounding out the other major growing regions.
Monthly, though our analysts flag any material shift in harvest-season conditions between scheduled updates, so buyers are never working from stale figures. We also track how buyers in adjacent markets are adjusting their sourcing strategies.
The quarterly trends and forecasts help time premium snack-food purchases around the harvest cycles in the major producing regions. Watching processing and cracking-capacity trends can give early warning on supply bottlenecks that aren't visible in the raw harvest data alone. Building that habit into a quarterly procurement review tends to pay off more consistently than reacting to price moves after they have already happened.
Its exceptionally hard shell requires specialized cracking equipment that adds real processing cost, and the global supply base remains relatively limited compared to more widely planted nuts like almonds or cashews, both factors that have kept it positioned firmly in the premium segment.
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