The engineering behind better Australian hazelnuts
Australia imports most of its hazelnuts. A UNSW researcher is hoping to change that, working with local growers to improve quality after harvest.
Published on the 05 August 2026
Pictured (left to right): Dr Yong Wang – Senior Lecturer, Dr Basil Baldwin, Pavittar Singh Sandhu
It’s clear Australians have a taste for hazelnuts, judging by offerings at supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants around the country. Beyond Nutella, hazelnuts are widely used in baking, cereals, granolas, oils, confectionery and savoury dishes.
But despite that demand, Australia imports 98 per cent of its raw hazelnuts from overseas producers. Locally grown hazelnuts account for just two per cent of domestic demand. UNSW Sydney PhD student Pavittar Singh Sandhu is working to help change that by engineering improvements to the hazelnut harvesting process at a farm in Orange, New South Wales.