By TIM JACKSON
Chief executive, Almond Board of Australia
AUSTRALIAN almond sales volumes for July were the highest monthly figures since Almond Board of Australia marketing data records have been kept.
The ABA’s July position report showed exports for July were up by 35 per cent on the same month last year – and season-to-date are 19 per cent ahead after five months of the selling season.
The 22,450 tonnes (kwe) sold was a whopping 28 per cent higher than the previous all-time high watermark for sales volumes, set in July 2017.
After five months of the 2024 season, export sales volumes were 60,803 tonnes (kwe) and total sales were just shy of 71,000.
A dry season and high demand in China are driving volumes at a rate which exceeds the industry’s annual sales volumes of 10 years ago.
China inshell sales have been the grunt behind the growth.
More than 27,000 tonnes of inshell has been shipped so far this season, compared with just over 12,000 for the same period last season.
Overall, China exports are up by 105 per cent.
Domestic sales volumes also strengthened – up 22 per cent on July 2023 and up 1 per cent over the season.
It is a pleasing trend, given the steady decline of domestic sales seen over the previous 18 months.
The ABA has just formalised a 2024-25 crop update, revising the pre-season estimate of 164,700 tonnes down to 153,550 tonnes.
Lower-yielding older trees appear to have been the major factor in this adjustment.
Improved global pricing will also boost expected grower returns for the current crop, helping to create a far more positive outlook for growers than last season.
Prices have bounced and the quality being delivered this year appears to have helped marketers pack and process goods faster and at a higher pack-out than was possible in 2023.
As sections of older orchards require replanting, growers are now questioning which varieties to use as their replacements.
It is one of the biggest questions in the industry and will be the topic of hot debate in one of the interaction panel sessions at the 2024 Australian Almond Conference in Adelaide next month.
The biennial event will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on October 2-4.
Trade exhibition hall space is sold out, and a range of international researchers and experts will head a jam-packed program designed to help growers continue to improve their operations.
Registrations are open on the Almond Board of Australia website – go to the events page at www.almondboard.org.au to register.
More than 350 people have already registered, and the ABA is expecting more than 500 industry stakeholders to attend.
