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Still, the state of the California almond industry may not be as rosy as projected just two short years ago when growth curves could be seen ramping up to extraordinary levels in the face of additional bearing acreages.
Though no single crop is exempt from California’s epic drought conditions, almonds were hit hard in 2014 and will likely suffer in 2015 as impacts from the drought reverberate with reduced tree health and decreased nut set over the next couple years.
With 860,000 bearing acres of nuts and growing, the industry faces significant challenges in the coming years, according to Almond Board of California CEO Richard Waycott.
Waycott told attendees at the 2014 Almond Conference in Sacramento, Calif. recently that the industry is projecting flat production for the next several years, in spite of a boost in bearing acreages. He blames drought and the lingering impacts it will have on tree health and short-term water uncertainties for the less-than-robust outlook.
Can the almond industry sustain its robust success of the past few years? That’s a question Waycott says will weigh on an industry that has seen a doubling of yields over the past 20 years and new markets open to gobble up that production.
Not all is gloomy, however.
