Australian almond industry rockets towards $1 billion farmgate value: HTW

The Australian nut industry reached a record high $1,045,000,000 in exports for the 2018/19 year, according to the recently released ABS report.

Property valuation firm Herron Todd White (HTW) found that the industry is currently experiencing its largest expansion in a decade, with industry value is split almost equally between domestic and imported product.

The most prominent nut products produced in the country are almonds, macadamia, walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, pistachio, and hazelnuts..

Australia currently exports nuts to around 55 countries, but a range of new free trade agreements currently in negotiation are bringing further optimism to all facets of the industry. 

Almonds

Australia is the second largest producer of almonds in the world behind the USA, where Californian agriculture is dominated by the production.

HTW found that Australian almonds are set to have a farmgate value of over $1billion dollars by 2025.

There are five major growing regions in Australia encompassing: Adelaide and the Riverland (South Australia); Sunraysia (Victoria); Riverina (New South Wales); Swan Region (Western Australia).

In 2018 the total area planted to commercial almond orchards was 42,000 hectares.

Production in 2018 was 80,374 tonnes of kernel.

The industry is currently in a period of significant expansion estimated to increase orchard area to 50,000 hectares by 2025 before plateauing due to constraints of water and suitable land.

The firm concluded that production is estimated to rise to 140,000 tonnes by 2025 and 155,000 tonnes by 2030.