High Temperatures Push Harvest into “Full Throttle”
High August temperatures throughout the California Central Valley increased the pace of crop development and picked up the tempo of the 2012 almond harvest. Growers are busy harvesting the Nonpareil variety, and in some areas, the Nonpareil crop has already been shaken to the orchard floor or has already been picked up. Reportedly, the crop is shaking cleanly and with uniform maturity.
As the Nonpareil is removed from each field, growers are moving quickly to irrigate their plantings in an effort to reduce the level of stress on remaining varieties and to support the developing flower buds for the next crop. Shakers are being sent back into the orchards as soon as conditions allow and shaking has already begun in the Carmel, Price, Aldrich, Sonora, Butte and Padre varieties. Growers are hopeful that the harvest will be completed with no weather-related difficulties.
With harvest going “full throttle,” huller/sheller operations are now running around the clock. Almonds that are unable to be shelled upon arrival are being diverted to stockpiles for shelling after the harvest has been completed. For more information on the 2012 harvest, check out www.bluediamond.com/bloom.
