Almonds emerging as healthy Australian export industry
The almond industry has emerged as one of Australia’s most valuable horticultural export industries with annual export sales in excess of $300 million.
The Almond Board of Australia has indicated there has been strong growth in production, prices, consumption and exports.
Colliers Rural research shows the area planted to almonds has increased by 211% or around 19,391 hectares over the past decade.
There is now 28,586 hectares under crop.
Typically, almond trees take three years to bear a crop and seven to eight years to reach mature production levels.
Colliers suggest currently there remains 1,008 hectares or 4% of almond plantings that are not yet bearing and 33% (9,486 hectares) of trees that are still maturing.
Australian almonds are predominately grown across three Australian states in four major growing regions, including:
- Adelaide and Riverland regions of South Australia
- Riverina region of New South Wales
- Sunraysia region of Victoria
A wide range of almond varieties is available, however within Australia the dominant varieties are Nonpareil, Carmel, Price, Peerless and Ne Plus.
Nonpareil is the main commercial variety and, as evidenced in the chart overleaf, currently accounts for over 50% of plantings in Australia.
Australian almond production in 2013 was 73,361 tonnes (kernel weight equivalent) with an expected tonnage for 2014 of 70,000 tonnes according to the Almond Board of Australia.
On a global scale, Australia is now the second largest producer of almonds behind the United States, who remains the dominant force in the industry with the majority of US almonds grown within the state of California.
The growth of the Australian almond industry has been mirrored by the US which produced 854,000 tonnes in the 2012-13 season making up 82% of world production.
Consumption growth has been led by improving incomes in major export destinations (most notably India) along with increased public awareness of the positive health benefits surrounding almond products.
The big grower Select Harvests currently is seeking expressions of interest for long-term investors to fund 5,000 acres of new trees with PPB Advisory appointed to manage the process.