The summer rainfall region experienced significant heatwaves during February, with temperatures nearing 40°C. Rain was mostly absent as El Niño took hold. Consequently, the avocado crop suffered sunburn, while the macadamia crop, however, seems largely unaffected.
Both crops were nearing harvest in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Roelof van Rooyen, director of Global Macadamias, said that since rain had been significant at the start of the summer, dams and rivers were full enough to allow for scheduled irrigation to take place. “The heatwave didn't have much of an effect on the macadamia crop, as much of the rain we needed fell at the crucial times in the season.”
