Almond growers expect another record crop

Almond growers are in for another record-breaking season, according to a federal government projection released Monday in Modesto.

The orchards that paint the valley a pale shade of pink every spring will yield about 1.5 billion pounds of nut meat this year, according to a National Agricultural Statistics Service projection released Monday. That's an 8 percent growth over last year's record production.

"Bloom conditions up and down the valley were just about perfect," said Almond Board of California Chief Executive Officer Richard Waycott. "Eight percent is a significant increase. Fortunately, our industry has proven it can market the increase."

California produces 80 percent of the world's almond supply. Almonds are the second-highest valued crop in Stanislaus County after milk, according to the most recent crop report, which is based on production in 2006. Growers in Stanislaus County made an estimated $833 million two years ago.

In addition to more farmers getting into the lucrative almond business, growers have intensified production by weeding out lower-yielding varieties, planting trees closer, and watering and fertilizing more efficiently. The nonpareil variety represents 36 percent of California's almond production.

Tim Sanders, who grows about 46 acres of nonpareil, Carmel and later-season varieties, has been slow to change. His trees are about 25 years old, mature by any standard.

"They probably should have come out five years ago, but prices have remained so high, I don't want to take them out of production now," Sanders said while peering up at a branch heavy with nuts.

The per-pound price for almonds more than tripled from 2001 to 2005. The price peaked in 2005 at $2.81 per pound. Last year, almonds went for $1.73 a pound. This year's price is undetermined.

Sanders said he tries to save branches breaking under the weight of a good harvest by propping them up with already felled branches. "It's a nice problem to have," he said. "These old trees, I never thought they'd do as well as last year."

Statewide, almond orchards are expected to yield 2,270 pounds per acre this year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistician Doug Flohr.

The projection, released Monday, is about 40 million pounds more than statisticians' May forecast. Higher production doesn't necessarily mean a lower price. As long as demand is high, growers want high production. They also want predictions made early in the season and those made later to be close and about the same as actual yields, so there are no surprises, Waycott said.

The forecast is based on samples from 18 percent of the state's 660,000 bearing acres. It's up 3 percent from a forecast released earlier this year based on a telephone survey of growers.

This season's harvest will begin in August.

Bee staff writer Eve Hightower can be reached at ehightower@modbee.com or 578-2382.