Macadamia

KisStartup – curated and introduced

In our “Afternoon Tea with KisStartup” series, we often choose one product to pause with, to look beyond the numbers and into the ecosystem behind it. Today’s story is about Vietnamese macadamia nuts—a product whose name is becoming familiar, yet whose value chain is still in an early stage, leaving significant room to grow.

Macadamia did not arrive in Vietnam very early, but it has found rare ecological conditions that suit it naturally. The Central Highlands, with basalt soil, cool plateaus and stable temperature ranges, and the Northwest, with its altitude and distinctive climate, have become promising growing areas with yields and quality comparable to traditional macadamia-producing countries. In just a few years, macadamia planting area has exceeded 46,000 hectares, concentrated in Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Son La and Dien Bien. This rapid expansion raises a critical question: are we growing to sell raw materials, or to build a real industry?

Encouragingly, the quality of Vietnamese macadamia is being positively assessed. Kernel ratio, oil content and sensory quality suit multiple segments—from roasted in-shell nuts and whole kernels to ingredients for confectionery, plant-based milk, nut butter and macadamia oil. VietGAP, organic standards and food safety certifications are increasingly applied at farm level, while some processing facilities have achieved HACCP, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000, ensuring better consistency and quality control—an essential foundation for sustainable exports.

However, the value chain remains largely upstream. Varieties are not fully standardized, planting is still partly spontaneous, and productivity varies widely. Deep processing exists but is fragmented; most value still lies in raw nuts or basic kernels. Meanwhile, global markets capture the highest value in downstream products such as macadamia butter, oil, premium snacks, functional food ingredients and cosmetics—where the real opportunity lies.

From KisStartup’s perspective, the greatest potential of Vietnamese macadamia is not scale alone, but value-chain organization. With well-planned growing areas linked to nearby processing, standardized varieties and standards built from the start, macadamia could follow the path of specialty coffee or cashews—from a raw commodity to a nationally branded industry. Reaching hundreds of millions of USD in export value is not unrealistic; it is a matter of smart organization and long-term investment.

In today’s afternoon tea, macadamia appears not just as a nutritious nut, but as a snapshot of Vietnam’s agricultural transformation—calling for vision, stronger linkages and investors willing to go the long way together.

© KisStartup. All rights reserved. Any reproduction or citation must credit KisStartup.