California produces 82% of the world’s almonds from approximately 800,000 acres. The Almond Board of California estimates that the state will produce 1.85 billion pounds this year, making it the third largest crop on record. Of that crop, 70% will be sold overseas. In 2012 almonds were the number one agricultural export for California earning $2.5 billion – 2.5 times the value of wine exports for the state which are California’s second most valuable. Consumption of California almonds in China has more than doubled in the past five years to 208 million pounds. Today California produces three times the amount of almonds it was producing in the late 1990’s. Foreign demand is only expected to increase and competition to remain meager. The two major negative issues affecting the industry are the availability of water and bees – both of which the cultivation of almonds uses a great deal. Between January and May of 2013 California experienced its worst drought in 90 years leaving reservoirs seriously low and resulting in a crop of smaller sized almonds. Finding hives to hire to pollinate the massive acreage has become harder and more expensive as well. Since 2006 bee populations have been decimated by ‘colony collapse disorder’. Despite these drawbacks there are twice as many acres of almond trees in California than there was 20 years ago, and within the past five years the price for almonds has doubled to $2.58 per pound.
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