State's almond acreage retreats for second consecutive year

Nov. 21—New data suggests Kern's fourth highest-grossing crop may have become a little less attractive to growers and investors dealing with an oversupply of inventory.

A report produced by Sacramento-based Land IQ and released Tuesday by the Almond Board of California said the amount of farmland devoted to growing almonds in the state has now declined for two years in a row. It's the first time that has happened since at least 1995.

Maybe more significantly, almond acreage pulled out of production increased again this year — by well over a third — while new plantings were down almost as much in a year-over-year comparison, according to the report.

Despite all that, the amount of nut-producing acreage in the state actually increased a little, meaning that production totals are likely to grow until the trends of fewer new plantings and more orchard removals take full effect.

The figures are fresh evidence that almonds are no longer the hot commodity they were a decade ago, when prices were much stronger. But in another sense, the data points to a rebalancing of supply in response to global demand that has not kept up with in-state production.

ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott noted in a news release Tuesday that although this year set a new record of 1.37 million bearing acres, "going forward, the analysis points to a lowering of bearing acreage in 2024."

County-specific numbers show Kern is not immune to the statewide retreat. Land IQ reported a large decline in standing almond acreage attributed to planting activity in the county in 2021, the most recent year for which numbers were available. It said that year's total of 5,940 newly planted acres in Kern was 46% less than 2020's total, which was lower than any of the preceding three years.