NASS Objective Estimate Projects 2.05 billion lbs

The USDA released the 2016 California Almond Crop Objective Estimate today, projecting 2.05 billion lbs. The estimate was based on the 900,000 bearing acres released in April, resulting in a projected yield of 2,280 lbs/acre.

The nut count per tree increased 4.9 percent, to an average of 6,159 per tree for the 2016 crop. This remains well below the counts from 2011 through 2014.

The average kernel weight increased 3.5 percent from last year’s estimate, growing to 1.48 grams from 1.43 grams in 2015.

Blue Diamond’s Global Ingredients offers more analysis on the market in light of the Objective’s release.