Australia: Almond harvest on par as exports beckon

But, after boom times in recent years, growers are expecting a 25-30 per cent fall in returns this year because of a bumper Californian crop in August coupled with a rising Australian dollar. South Australia grows about a quarter of Australia’s almonds with the bulk being produced in Victoria and New South Wales. Harvest takes place from about the middle of February to the first week in April and while yields this year were on par with 2020, the total crop is up by about 10 per cent due to recent plantings reaching maturity. Australian exports were up 26 per cent to $772 million in 2019/20 with Asia, Europe, New Zealand and the Middle East typically the biggest markets. Renmark-based grower co-operative Almondco sources almonds from about 80 per cent of Australian growers. Its annual in-take from growers in SA, Victoria, NSW and WA at its three processing plants make up about 30 per cent of the national production. Almondco managing director Brenton Woolston said the company had ...