A good year!
JUNE 4, 2024
USDA ALMOND FORECAST
United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service
2024 California Almond Forecast
RESULTS: The USDA NASS Pacific Regional Office released an initial subjective forecast for 2024 California almond production. NASS forecasts:
production at 3.00 billion pounds, 21% above last year?s final production of 2.47 billion pounds.
almond bearing acres at 1,380,000, unchanged from the 2023 bearing acreage estimate.
yield at 2,170 pounds per acre, up 380 pounds from last year?s yield of 1,790 pounds per acre.
The subjective production forecast is based on a survey conducted from April 19 to May 5 from a sample of 500 almond growers. Respondents had the option of reporting their data by mail, online, or phone.
The 2024 almond crop experienced fluctuating, but mostly favorable weather for the first half of the growing season. The bloom began the second week in February for the early varieties. There were a handful of storms that brought rain, wind, and hail to some areas, but overall mild temperatures and excellent weather from the end of February into early March helped boost pollination. Bee hours were reported to be significantly higher than last year. Bloom was finished by the middle of March.
Wet weather and warmer temperatures in April increased pest and disease pressures. There was minimal to no threat of frost damage and water allocation is not an issue for the second year in a row.
Go To, 202405almpd.pdf (almonds.com) to access the whole report.
CA had an abundance of water dumped on them in the last couple of years. It should be good for a lot of the crops and for the farmers bottom line. Unfortunately, CA has not increased its reservoir capacity and what is not immediately used now will run to the ocean. The existing reservoirs are full.
Sounds like those CA farmers would benefit from digging some ponds. 1/3 of raindrops run off, might as well catch them!
I don?t know about now but California used to dump their reservoirs just to save some little fish that lived in the water way down stream. At the same time screaming water conservation to the residents and restricting the water from the farmers.
Jim Altmiller
The Delta Smelt :grin:
Transplant them, that?s what they did with the Snail Darter of Tennessee.