Almonds: excellent crop prospects and unfair prices
May 5, 2026 at 12:20 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Production to surge by 39%
As local media report SAB-Almendrave, the Spanish Almond Board, anticipates a 39% upturn in production this year. According to figures presented by the Board at last week’s 11th Almond and Hazelnut Meeting shelled almond production will climb to a record 146,000 mt in 2026 as opposed to last year’s 105,000 mt, providing that weather conditions will remain good.
According to Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food data also presented at the meeting almond cultivation covered an area of 762,160 ha in 2025. Irrigation accounts for more than half of this area and the expansion of this, combined with the development of new production areas and the improved organisation of the sector will help to consolidate Spain’s position as second largest producer worldwide and largest producer in Europe.
José Manuel Martin, the Deputy Minister of Common Agricultural Policy and Agri-environmental Policy of Castilla-La Mancha, also emphasised that cultivation has risen by 18% in this region in recent years and exceeds 170,000 ha. Castilla-La Mancha ranks third in terms of production after Andalusia and Aragon. At the meeting, it was also noted that prices have recovered at origin, despite demand not climbing as fast as supply.
Prices under scrutiny
Yet, market prices are way too low for farmers. Thousands, especially small farms, are forced to give up every year and production is at risk in future, if prices continue to be unfair. The National Association of Organic Almond Producers (AEPAEC) will stage a protest at the Albacete Commodity Exchange on Thursday to call for more transparency and for reforms to modernise the outdated way in which the commodity exchanges work.
Trouble is that farmers are completely left at the mercy of industrial stakeholders with no possibility to negotiate prices, which often fall below production costs especially for organic almonds. Consumers are also left in the dark as to how prices are formed and quotations are frequently issued without any written backup such as contracts. Authorities are also too passive, although regional governments could well use actual prices to provide more accurate reports on a regular basis, which would help the entire sector to make more informed decisions and become much more sustainable.
Quotations have been quite firm in recent weeks. Largueta and Marcona almonds are quoted lowest in Reus and highest in Ebro and in Albacete, quotations for Guara almonds are lowest in Murcia and highest Córdoba.
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Almonds, local market prices, Spain |
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Type |
EUR/kg |
|
Largueta |
5.25-5.55 |
|
Marcona |
5.60-6.10 |
|
Guara |
5.08-5.25 |
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ASAJA Price Observatory, 25-30/04/26 |
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