Australia: Almonds Booming Down Under
Australia is the world’s second largest almond producer with six percent of world output after the United States, which accounts for 85 percent of the total. Significant new investment has occurred in part as a response to the ongoing drought in California, which is the main U.S. almond producing region. In 2014/15, almond production in Australia reached 75,000 MT, up sharply from 16,000 MT a decade before, and is expected to reach 90,000 MT in the next few years. The orchard area planted to almonds has increased to 29,000 hectares, with 80 percent planted over the last decade and a ten percent expansion planned in the next few years. The Australian almond industry is the leading horticultural export industry, with sales forecast to exceed US$700 million in three years; supported by expanded acreage and investment, a lower Australian dollar and increasing world demand. In addition, domestic consumption of almonds has doubled to 0.9 kilograms per person and a wide range of new products have been developed.
