Almonds: Australia's exports break new record
May 25, 2023 at 3:13 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Almond export is booming
In the 2022/2023 season (March-February), Australian almond exports cracked the 100,000 mt mark for the first time. Combined with domestic demand, nearly 130,000 mt of Australian almonds were shipped domestically and internationally last year, and Australian Almonds' latest export report starts the new 2023/2024 season off right with another record.
A whopping 6,311 mt of shelled and unshelled almonds are reported to have been exported from Australia in March 2023, by far the best figure ever for this month, the 5-year average here being just 1,739 mt. Domestic deliveries fell by 15% to 2,011 mt in the first month of the new season, but exports to Spain (+211% to 1,726 mt), China (+27% to 1,546 mt) and Turkey (1,259 mt) increased massively. It remains to be seen, however, whether exports can maintain this pace. Due to unfavourable weather conditions during the pollination phase, an insufficient number of bee colonies and poor water quality due to flooding, yield forecasts for the 2023 crop had to be reduced and most recently stood at around 117,000 mt.
|
Almond* exports and domestic demand, Australia, in mt |
|||
|
Country |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
Diff. |
|
Australia |
2,375 |
2,011 |
-15.3% |
|
Spain |
555 |
1,726 |
211.0% |
|
China |
1,217 |
1,546 |
27.0% |
|
Turkey |
0 |
1,259 |
- |
|
India |
0 |
222 |
- |
|
USA |
117 |
197 |
68.4% |
|
UAE |
0 |
174 |
- |
|
Netherlands |
184 |
115 |
-37.5% |
|
Thailand |
156 |
113 |
-27.6% |
|
New Zealand |
280 |
97 |
-65.4% |
|
Others |
323 |
863 |
167.2% |
|
Total |
5,207 |
8,323 |
59.8% |
|
Almond Board of Australia; March *shelled and unshelled |
|||
Spain and Portugal join forces
Companies from Spain and Portugal have joined forces to promote the "Iberian Almond" in the Western European market. In addition to the domestic markets of the Iberian Peninsula, France and Germany are the main target markets for the EU-funded campaign. "This nut has what it takes to become a flagship of the Iberian Peninsula," said Albino Bento, president of the Centro Nacional de Competências dos Frutos Secos (CNCFS), in a press release. Spain has steadily expanded the area under cultivation and in Portugal, too, the acreage has tripled in recent years. It is also worth supporting the fact that Spain is still the world's largest source of organic almonds, despite its smaller crop compared to California. "Our water consumption is lower, and we also use fewer pesticides" was said during the panel on 4 May. "The aspect that our almond production is so sustainable should be communicated accordingly. Water and sustainability are two terms that are important for the entire industry."
Pere Ferré, President of SAB-Almendrave added: "The European almond is the perfect example of environmentally friendly agriculture." The use of water as a resource is responsible, he said, as 85% of the land is rainfed and growers using artificial irrigation are increasingly opting for on-demand irrigation. In addition, the nearly 800,000 ha planted with these trees on the peninsula sequester an enormous amount of carbon, making a crucial contribution to combating climate change.
|
Almonds, Spain |
|
|
Type |
EUR/kg |
|
Guara, 12/14 mm, natural |
4.25 |
|
Valencia, +14 mm, natural |
4.40 |
|
Organic, Valencia, 12/14 mm, natural |
7.20 |
|
FCA Spain |
|
View more
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