A LEDBURY company has successfully met the challenge to design a unique harvesting machine for nuts that grow and fall in the heat and challenging conditions of Australia.

Pattenden Machinery of Preston Cross, manufacturer of agricultural harvesting equipment, has developed a machine to go to the other side of the world for a crop that no one will ever see growing in Herefordshire fields.

The crop is macadamia nuts, a valuable crop grown on large trees, then harvested from the ground.

But in designing the high-tech nut gatherer, the company looked for ideas at machines it had built for an entirely different crop; namely Herefordshire apples.

The specialist machine was developed from the company’s successful Grouse cider apple harvester, of which over 100 machines will be out in the fields working this autumn.

But Clive Chapman, Pattenden’s development engineer, said he had "some long days to put together this first machine for this exciting new market".

He added: "The new machine will be containerised and is heading for the port of Brisbane where the customer is eagerly awaiting his new machine."

Macadamia nuts are used for a variety of applications from food to cosmetics. This versatile crop is harvested over several months, usually in sweltering hot conditions.

This has meant development of the machine has had to include special design features not only to cope with the different crop, but also the very testing conditions.

Pattenden's managing director, Robert Chapman said,

"These are exciting times for the company, with a new product, into a completely new market , on the other side of the world.

"I suppose this is what businesses strive for. Congratulations must go to Clive and his team for their achievements as a result of all their hard work.”