According to the Almond Board of California, the California almond industry shipped 148 million pounds of almonds in December. This is off 6 percent from Dec. 2013 shipments.

Mark Jansen, chief executive officer of Blue Diamond Growers in Sacramento said the foundation for a strong December was steady under a recovering Chinese demand and good domestic sales.

California’s 2014 almond crop still projects to finish between 1.825 and 1.840 billion pounds. With receipts already at 1.805 billion this will be the fastest California has harvested and received a crop.

After the pricing peak of early October, there has been price stability which builds market confidence and demand, according to Jansen.

Even with continued West Coast port slowdowns, Jansen projects strong January shipments as the uncertainty of the upcoming bloom drives prices higher from late December through early February.

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While California fresh fruit is largely unaffected by the current slowdown because of harvest schedules and shipping dates, Barry Bedwell, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association said if these slowdowns continue, California produce will be significantly impacted.

The slowdown is also impacting imports to West Coast ports.