Answer: 1,552,754! Question: How Many Acres of Almonds Are There?
November 20, 2020 There are now nearly five times as many acres of almonds in the U.S. as there are apples. Looking into the future, there are nearly as many nonbearing acres of almonds in California as there are total acres of apples in the entire country.
Hard to believe, but based upon their 2020 final estimate, consulting firm Land IQ determined there are 1,552,754 total standing acres (bearing and non-bearing) of almonds in California. According to the Almond Board of California (ABC), of this total, 1,242,203 acres are considered bearing (planted in 2017 or earlier) and the remaining 310,551 acres non-bearing (planted in 2018, 2019 and 2020).
Non-bearing almonds cannot be consistently differentiated from other similarly aged tree crops using remotely sensed methods. The ground truthing data, proportionality of almonds to other tree crops, and other lines of evidence are therefore used to numerically estimate acreage for orchards that are one and two years old.
The final estimate, which builds off the initial estimate earlier in the year, utilizes a combination of extensive ground truthing and advanced remote sensing analytics to refine Land IQ’s initial findings. The ground truthing effort maps a subset of the almond orchard population throughout the Central Valley as well as all other crops along a nearly 4,000-mile route.
Land IQ then uses this data to calibrate algorithms in a remotely sensed image analysis process. This process differentiates almond orchards from other tree and annual crops. Both the remotely sensed and numerical estimates are combined for a total statewide acreage estimate. According to Land IQ, the 2020 estimate is 98.8% accurate.
“ABC has been working with Land IQ for several years to continually improve the process for analyzing the ebb and flow of orchard acreage as old orchards are removed and new orchards planted, resulting in very reliable estimates,” ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott says. “Land IQ’s acreage estimations, combined with those of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, provide the industry with timely and useful information.”
In response to changing acreage and location of crops in California, in 2014 the ABC commissioned Land IQ, a Sacramento-based agricultural and environmental scientific research and consulting firm, to develop a comprehensive, living map of California almonds, orchard by orchard. Beginning in 2019, the ABC adjusted the mapping process to include annual reporting that now involves the release of two acreage summaries: an initial estimate that includes a bearing acreage estimate, and a final estimate that includes bearing and non-bearing acreage estimates for the same production year.
Industry members can visit the ABC website at Almonds.com/Maps for more information on the 2020 final estimate and to view Land IQ’s updated layer map. Individuals referencing the 2020 layer on the Land IQ web map should note that the layer accounts only for bearing acreage. However, some non-bearing orchards that were visually confirmed from ground truthing may also appear on the map. Any technical questions about the map may be directed to Land IQ at (916) 265-6358 or [email protected].
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