Almond industry expansion

Summary

Global awareness of the important health benefits for nuts in the human diet is driving an increased demand for nut and nut products. Almonds have been branded as a superfood in recent years as they are high in Vitamin E, with low sugar and a low glycaemic index (GI) (ABA, 2015). The Australian almond industry is rapidly expanding and projected to continue this expansion into the future.

The Californian almond industry is responsible for approximately 80% of global almond production. The Australian almond industry has recently surpassed the Spanish almond industry as the second largest producer of almonds globally. Since 2006, almond production in Australia has increased from 23,000 tonnes in shell to 115,000 tonnes in shell. By 2025, Australian almond production is projected to be more than 185,000 tonnes in shell. Expanding the Australian almond industry is essential to reaching production forecasts and capitalising on the demand for almonds.

This information package is supplementary to high-resolution maps available online. The information provided should be used as a guide to find potential regions for expansion. However, specific and comprehensive site analysis must precede the final decision regarding site suitability for any orchard establishment. A further use of this work would be to provide information on suitable regions for sentinel plantings to determine those most appropriate for expansion of the Australian almond industry.