Almond Market Update November 2021
As we all know, it has been an extremely hard year for the almond industry. With the drought in California and the added pressure on freight, it hasn't been a good year. However, in the last few weeks, new developments have overtaken the industry.
First of all, rainfall finally blessed the Central Valley during October, just as farmers were finishing up with the 2021 harvest. Daily maximum temperatures fell to the lower 60's, a massive fall from the season's low to mid 90's.
In fact, throughout the previous month, morning temperatures ranged between the mid-'40s and lower 50's to 60's.
How have Harvest Operations Been Going?
Due to the weather change, morale has been boosted in the Central Valley, just for harvest operations to be completed. While the majority of the crops are fine, some orchards have been impacted by the rain.
Luckily, farmers have still managed to deliver them to shellers or for stockpiling purposes. This was primarily possible due to advanced weather forecasts, which allowed the growers to pick up their plantings before the rain arrived.
Crop Updates
Most of the shellers have already finished their work for the year, but larger operations are expected to continue into December. Almond meats with over 7% moisture are being sent to the driers before storage.
This is because the change in weather has led to shorter days and foggy mornings, making it impossible to dry them in the orchards.
What About The Water Crisis?
Unfortunately, even with the rain, there is no impact on the drought situation in California. Of course, the rain did help fill orchard root zones, and the storm system brought snow to the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada watershed, but there is still quite a bit of work needed to ensure ample water irrigation for the next year.
In other news, water deliveries by local districts ended during the previous month, and growers had to fill soil profiles before the deliveries.
Inshell Prices Decline As Sellers Confront A Challenging Market
The global almond market remained volatile this week as well, ending on Tuesday with prices falling due to the concerns regarding October shipments, sales, and storage. The fall in price is largely due to uncertainty surrounding logistics, drought, and the impact of this year's carry-in. Sellers are uneasy, and there is little that can be done to make them feel better.
Californian packers report a storage problem that is impacting business and sales. The lack of storage is also partly responsible for the fall in price. Several packers have been seen to be forced to sell into the market to free up space.
