Today, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that California’s almond acreage increased in 2016.
The benefits that California’s #1 crop brings to the state go beyond growing 80 percent of the world’s supply of nutritious almonds. The state’s almond trees and the land they grow on provide 97,000 jobs in the Central Valley, produce three crops, each with beneficial uses, and give honey bees a strong start to their year, with hives routinely leaving stronger after visiting during bloom.
The 2016 California Almond Acreage Report found that bearing acres, that is orchards old enough to produce a crop, were reported at 940,000 acres, up 2 percent from 2015. Total almond acres for 2016 were estimated at 1.24 million acres, up 7 percent from 1.16 million acres the previous year.
Are you interested in arranging an interview with an Almond Board spokesperson? They can provide further information on California’s Almond acreage and the benefits that it brings to surrounding communities and the environment.