California Almond Forecast Up 1 Percent in 2023

California's almond production for 2023 is forecasted to reach 2.60 billion pounds of meat, which is a 4% increase from the subjective forecast in May and 1% higher than last year's crop of 2.57 billion pounds of meat. The forecast is based on 1.38 million acres of bearing land. Production for the Nonpareil variety is forecasted at 1.10 billion meat pounds, which is 10% higher than last year's deliveries of 1.00 billion meat pounds. The Nonpareil variety represents 42% of California's total almond production.

The almond bloom began in the middle of February and peaked at the end of the month. Record-level rainfall and unprecedented stormy conditions hindered bee pollination activity in orchards across the state. Cooler than normal temperatures persisted throughout early summer, which resulted in a delay in the crop's maturity. Growers have been irrigating, applying pest treatments, and preparing for harvest, which is expected to begin in the next month.

The average nut set per tree is 3,953, which represents a 3% decrease compared to 2022. The Nonpareil average nut set of 4,004 is 1% higher than last year. The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.67 grams, which represents a 14% increase from the average weight in 2022. The Nonpareil average kernel weight was 1.69 grams, which is a 9% increase from the average weight in 2022. A total of 98.4% of all nuts were sound in size.