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Almonds: Foreigners at the gate

October 25, 2017 at 7:50 AM , Starry Night Ltd.
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SOFIA. Although cultivation of land grows fast on a yearly basis, domestic supply accounts for only a fraction of local consumption. Imports flood the market.

Almonds: In the dawn of strong cultivation, unharvested areas remain high

BULGARIA. The almond is a nut that is not as widely cultivated throughout the country as the walnut is, for instance, because of climate prerequisites. As a result, the majority of orchards are situated in the Southeast of the country because the climate is milder or characterized by rainy Winters, warm Springs, dry to hot Summers, and mild Falls.

Even though almond orchards are confined within specific regions of the country, for the last several years, farmers have substantially increased their stakes in cultivating the nut, going from 1,654 ha (2013) to 2,184 ha (2016), according to a recent USDA report on Tree Nuts Annual.

Although the rate at which orchards are harvested increases, for instance from 574 ha (2015) to 987 ha (2016), many trees remain unharvested; for the year 2016, 1,197 ha were left untouched, which represented 54.81% of total cultivated land, according to the same USDA report.

Net importer of almonds

The country’s aggregate output could not satisfy local demand. As a result, imports flood the market, with the Californian almond leading among the rest, having a market share of 57% for 2016, according to the USDA report. Further, the report projects total imports (in shelled weight) during the current marketing season to reach 1,450 mt, as shipped in volumes from EU member countries are forecasted to account for 450 mt; while domestic output (in shelled weight) is assumed to have reached 520 mt on the background of an estimated annual consumption of 1,850 mt.

Organic almonds, Bulgaria

Type

EUR/kg

in shell

4.20

natural kernels, Nonpareil

10.20

natural kernels, Asparuh

10.20

natural kernels, Primorski

10.20

natural kernels, Start

10.20

natural kernels, Nikitski

10.20

EXW Bulgaria
   

 Almonds, Bulgaria

Type

EUR/kg

in shell

3.40

natural kernels, Nonpareil

8.40

natural kernels, Asparuh

8.40

natural kernels, Primorski

8.40

natural kernels, Start

8.40

natural kernels, Nikitski

8.40

EXW Bulgaria

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