Tag: NASS

NASS Objective Crop Estimate at 1.8 Billion Pounds

The NASS Objective Estimate for the California almond crop was issued yesterday, projecting a 2015 crop of 1.8 billion pounds. Based on 890,000 bearing acres (up 2.3 percent from last year), a nut count of 5,874 nuts per tree (down 12 percent) and kernel weight of 1.43 grams per...

NASS Subjective Estimate Reports 1.85 Billion Pound Crop

Last week, growers in each of Blue Diamond’s 9 districts shared with me their outlook on their crop. After these visits, I was predicting a crop in the trees of 1.9 billion pounds. Water quality and availability could significantly lower this number. Often I heard their prediction followed by...

Almond Prices: A New Normal

The spectacular and extended rise in almond prices has the industry concerned that we have reached the peak. Many of you have lived through rising and falling prices. You may even recall there has been a five-year pattern to almonds prices. As we enter the fifth year of rising...

Blue Diamond Almond Market Update

Strong shipments for the California Almond Industry continued into the month of June. Yesterday’s release of the Industry Position Report showed a record shipment for June. Net shipments of 152.8 million lbs. were 11.3% larger than last June. YTD shipments through June total 1,804.9 million pounds, pushing up the...

2014 California Almond Market Forecast

Today NASS reported the Subjective Estimate for the 2014 crop is 1.95 billion pounds.  This is 2.5% below last year’s production of 2.0 billion pounds. Last year’s estimate was within 1% of the actual 2013 crop.  On average, the Subjective Estimate over the last five years has been within...

Global Demand for California Almonds Remains Strong

  Demand for California Almonds remains strong. Shipments for the month of November exceeded prior year by nearly 8%. Year-to-date, shipments continue to run ahead of last year at 7.4%. Commitments for November rose by 149 million lbs., putting the 2013 California almond supply at 57% shipped and committed....

NASS Objective Estimate Shocks Industry

July 12, 2013 – The industry was shocked by the NASS Objective Estimate of 1.85 billion pounds for the 2013 crop.  The eyeball test of the crop appears much larger, but misses the quantitative sampling of kernel size.  Handlers raised 2013 selling prices by $.40 a pound in response,...

NASS Estimate on Lower Side of Industry Expectations

The NASS Objective Estimate for the 2013 California almond crop was released, July 1, 2013 at 1.85 billion lbs. The projection is 2% below last year’s crop and down 7.5% from May’s subjective forecast. A lighter Nonpareil crop and smaller kernel sizes across all varieties are contributing to the lower...