DEMAND for Australian almonds remains strong despite easing from last season’s record highs, according to the Almond Board of Australia.
The industry’s October sales position report, released in December, shows sales have trailed last year’s exceptional pace but are still on track to be the second largest on record, even with a smaller crop.
The Almond Board of Australia said the result underlined the resilience of global demand for Australian product.
China continues to dominate export activity, recording another strong month that was two per cent higher than the same period last year. Season to date shipments to China are now running four per cent ahead of last season’s record volume and account for 60 per cent of Australia’s almond exports for the 2025–26 season.
“For the second consecutive season we are seeing inshell exports outstrip traditional kernel sales in the export market,” the Almond Board of Australia said, pointing to changing buyer preferences and strong demand from key Asian markets.
Pricing has remained firm, with confidence further supported by outcomes from the recent Californian Almond Conference.
The Almond Board of Australia said discussions at the conference reinforced that the global supply and demand balance for almonds remains favourable for growers.
In July, global almond prices fell sharply following the release of the independently calculated Objective Estimate for the Californian crop, which forecast a three billion pound harvest for the 2025–26 season.
The estimate surprised most analysts, but subsequent receipts suggest the figure may be around 300 million pounds higher than the actual intake.
Last week, the Almond Board of California announced it would no longer finance the annual objective estimate, a move the Almond Board of Australia said would be closely watched by global markets given the estimate’s historic influence on pricing and sentiment.
