Total almond acreage in California grew about 6% in 2015 to an estimated 1.1 million acres, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Total acreage increased from 1.05 million in 2014. There were 890,000 bearing acres in 2015 — from orchards old enough to produce a crop — up a little more than 1% from 880,000 in 2014.
Kern, Fresno, Stanislaus, Merced and Madera counties led the state, accounting for 73% of total bearing acreage.
Nonpareil was the leading variety, followed by Monterey, Butte, Carmel, and Padre.
Since 1995, California almond acreage has more than doubled. That year, there were 418,000 bearing acres and nearly 67,000 non-bearing acres of almonds in the state.
Responding to concerns about water usage on almond orchards, the Almond Board of California cited data that shows increased almond acres replace perennial and annual crops such as cotton, vineyards, non-irrigated grasslands, alfalfa, grain and hay crops, tomatoes, corn, mixed field crops and irrigated pasture, with 96% of that land in the Central Valley’s historic irrigated area. It most often replaces other irrigated crops, the board says.
Citing the California Department of Water Resources, the board says total agricultural water usage has been flat since 2000, with almonds taking less than a proportionate amount.
“Almonds take up about 14% of the state’s irrigated farmland but uses 9.5% of California’s agricultural water, less than a proportionate share,” said Almond Board of California President and CEO Richard Waycott. “Because of the industry’s commitment to research and efficiency, growers use 33% less water to grow a pound of almonds than they did two decades ago.”