When USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA‑NASS) releases the annual California Almond Subjective Forecast on May 12, growers may notice the report doesn’t look exactly like it has in the past. The difference is tied to a broader USDA‑NASS publication change — not to any change requested or directed by the Almond Board of California (ABC).
For decades, growers, handlers, and other stakeholders have used the Subjective Forecast as a consistent early-season reference point. Because many people know where to look for key figures and comparisons, even small shifts in layout can slow down that first read. While the report’s presentation may change, the industry’s need is the same: quickly locating the data points that support planning and market conversations.
Last year, USDA‑NASS has released a statement saying: “NASS will no longer generate publications tailored specifically to individual states or regions. There is no impact on state-level data as it will continue to be available in the national releases and through NASS’s public online database, Quick Stats. All NASS reports are available to the public at www.nass.usda.gov.”
For almonds, that means the Subjective Forecast may be packaged differently than the California-specific publication many are used to, however the survey methodology remains unchanged, and the California data will still exist within national releases and in Quick Stats.
To make the updated format easier to navigate, ABC will provide a brief cover letter when sharing the Subjective Forecast. The cover letter will act as a reader’s guide to point to where commonly referenced items appear and help industry members locate the information they are accustomed to seeing in the Subjective Forecast.
As an additional reminder, the Subjective Forecast will be the only yield-related report released by USDA this year. In December of 2025, ABC’s Board of Directors voted to cease funding for the USDA‑NASS Objective Estimate that has typically been released in early July.
ABC will share the Subjective Forecast as soon as it is released on May 12 and include the cover letter to help industry members orient quickly. If you have questions once the report is available, please contact ABC staff.
California Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has been spending time in the Central Valley getting familiar the ag industry. He identified regulations in water access and labor and environmental restrictions as some of the key challenges he wishes to address. Hilton spoke with Matthew Malcolm from California Ag Network to discuss the key takeaways from his time meeting with growers and producers. Watch this quick video and read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
When growers think about foodservice demand, restaurants and packaged foods often come to mind. But another foodservice segment is quietly shaping ingredient use, consumer preferences and long‑term demand: College and University (C and U) foodservice.
C and U refers to on‑campus dining programs at colleges and universities. These programs feed students, faculty and staff every day across multiple venues and meals. Collectively, C and U foodservice represents an estimated $18 billion industry nationwide, with thousands of campuses and significant purchasing power. For almonds, it is a segment where scale and influence intersect.
College campuses serve food continuously. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are offered seven days a week. Some campuses prepare tens of thousands of meals daily across dining halls, cafés, food trucks and catering operations. Even small ingredient decisions, when multiplied across millions of meals each year, can add up quickly.
That scale is why the Almond Board of California engages with campus dining not only to encourage menu inclusion, but to help make almonds visible, desirable and repeatedly chosen by students. When almonds show up in everyday meals and beverages, they can influence preferences, normalize new uses beyond snacking and ultimately build long term demand.
“College dining today looks very different than it did a generation ago,” the Almond Board of California recently wrote. “Many universities now operate chef‑driven programs that emphasize scratch cooking, global flavors and ingredient transparency. On some campuses, dining experiences rival what is found in major cities.”
The Almond Board works with campus dining leaders, executive chefs and purchasers — especially at universities that manage their own dining programs — to make it easier to feature almonds in ways that are more appealing to students.
“C and U foodservice represents a long-term investment in almond demand because it combines large-scale meal volume with an unusually strong ability to shape consumer choices,” the Almond Board wrote. “Campus dining teams influence what students try repeatedly, and those experiences can carry forward into habits and purchases after graduation.”
For growers, this work may help keep almonds top-of-mind as these student-consumers navigate more choices and more competing ingredients.
— Story contributed by the Almond Board of California
Farmer John Chandler lamented the loss of methyl bromide for replanting an orchard or vineyard. Photo credit: Diana Gutierrez
Andreas Westphal, scientist at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in the San Joaquin Valley, organized a soil plant pathology conference that was held on March 24-26, 2026. Participants from as far away as Virginia came to learn about the latest research findings.
Chandler Farms
The first day of the conference was a field tour to three sites and then Kearney itself. After meeting at Kearney, the participants rode on a tour bus to Chandler Farms in Selma. John Chandler, his brother Tom and their father, Bill operate a diversified farm that includes almonds, grapes and citrus.
Soil Fumigants
The Chandlers typically change out one field per year. John lamented the loss of methyl bromide for replanting an orchard. He now uses Telone, which he finds “has less effect but still works.”
He always contracts out his Telone application because it requires special training. He has the contractor put tarps over it, beyond the usual seal, to prevent off-gassing, but he says, “It’s not worth it to get acres of plastic.” The tarps add about $1000/acre to the cost.
Westphal explained, though, that Telone is becoming more difficult to use because of a new restriction in the amount of Telone allowed plus a requirement that the fumigant be applied with lots of water. The new regulations say that the soil has to be wet to two feet depth. If the soil is bone dry, three inches of water must be added within 72 hours before applying the fumigant.
However, the excess water makes it hard to get a tractor through the field. Also, the fumigant does not move well through water, as it is made to move through air. Lastly, the Telone stays in wet soil longer before vaporizing off, which may make it toxic to plants.
Nematodes
Chandler said that his farm has nematodes —the microscopic roundworms that feed on plant roots. His soil has root-knot, lesion, ring and citrus types of nematodes.
When he can afford it, he fallows the land for a year or two instead of fumigating, but he says that fumigation gives the plants the best chance to get started. Once the crop is established, he notes, there are few tools for nematode adjustment.
Burchell Nursery
The second stop was Burchell Nursery in Fowler, where Mauricio De Almeida led the group around the almond, stone fruit, citrus, pomegranate, and retail table grape plants.
Mauricio de Almeida led the tour group around the almond, stone fruit, citrus, pomegranate, and retail table grape plants at the Nursery. Photo credit: Diana Gutierrez
What is gnawing the plant roots?
Almeida said that, as in all greenhouses, the water, heat and humidity may induce root rot and fungus gnats. The fungus gnat larvae eat the soft tissue of plant roots. The adults do not feed on plants.
Another larva that Burchell manages is that of the European pepper moth. The caterpillars girdle the plant stem below the soil line.
The root rot and insect pests occur even though the potting media — made of peat, bark, wood fiber and sometimes Perlite — comes pasteurized. The nursery uses Nemasys® beneficial nematodes to manage the larval insect pests.
Almonds
In almonds, Bright’s Hybrid 5, Hansen and Viking rootstocks and Shasta scions resist root-knot nematode. Viking and Shasta also tolerate ring nematodes. Bright’s Hybrid also has low susceptibility to root lesion nematodes. In susceptible varieties, root-lesion nematodes create lesions that can lead to secondary infections like bacterial canker.
The visitors got to see the Cornerstone cultivar of Prunus rootstock, developed by Burchell Nursery to resist the root knot nematodes Meloidogyne javanica and M. incognita. Used as rootstock for almond and stone fruits, Cornerstone is also less sensitive to crown gall, caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
Unfortunately, in both Kern and Merced counties (but not Fresno County where the tour took place), in 2018 a root-knot nematode from Florida, Meloidogyne floridensis, was found in almond trees on Hansen 536 and Bright’s Hybrid 5 rootstocks, where they caused growth decline of the trees. Now considered an A-rated (“highest concern”), quarantined pest in California, it has since been found in South Carolina and Georgia, after being considered endemic to Florida before 2018.
After a visit to the Cobblestone citrus packing plant, the tour group boarded the bus a final time to return to the Kearney Agricultural Research Center and ate sandwiches for lunch. They then rode on a tram to visit different field research plots at the Center.
Levels of Plant Response to Pathogens
Plants can be divided into three groups of responses to nematodes and other pathogens: sensitive, tolerant and resistant. Tolerance allows for high nematode populations, which gives the nematodes more opportunity to have genetic mutations that enable them to overcome the plants’ resistance. Therefore, nematicides should be used in tolerant cultivars to limit the pest population.
Walnuts and Almonds
Walnuts are sensitive to some nematodes and resistant to others, but “every plant has its limits,” Westphal said. Walnut soil is treated pre-plant and at-plant at the planting site. Tank water is used to settle the tree in. Salibro is added to the tank water to form a concentration that kills the nematodes but not the trees. Westphal cautioned growers to not overwater walnuts.
Among other things, Westphal is testing juice from walnut hulls to see if they inhibit nematodes. He noted that ASD (anaerobic soil disinfestation), created by applying nine tons of rice bran per acre, inhibited nematodes somewhat. However, it would not be worth the $6,000/acre price tag for growers.
Westphal is testing whether juice from walnut hulls can inhibit nematodes in almond orchards.
Highly resistant rootstocks can grow without fumigation, with less toxic, affordable nematicides applied. As with citrus, nursery trees must be grown in nematode-free soil, or the trees must be certified before leaving the premises.
Westphal showed the tour participants an almond rootstock test orchard, in which nematode resistance is compared among various commercial and experimental rootstocks. Only the most successful experimental rootstocks make it to the next round of trials, along with the commercial ones for comparison.
Westphal then concluded the field tour. The conference continued indoors on the following two days. — by Nancy Power, Assistant Editor
Strong roots are a pivotal part of successful farming, regardless of the crop or growing region.
Rootex® and Rootex® Flowable provide unique benefits in this area. Not only does this technology help drive lateral root development and mass, Rootex is also designed to overcome one of the biggest nutrient challenges that exists in agriculture- phosphorus tie-up in the soil.
Redox Owner, Founder and CEO Darin Moon said Rootex has an organic molecule package that alleviates tie up, making phosphorus markedly more efficient. He added its amino acid package is what boosts lateral root branching.
The results benefit yield and quality in the immediate and long term.
“For 50 years, we’ve all bought into the concept of building your soil,” Moon said. “The reality is that approach is more expensive than it has ever been. That math doesn’t add up. Considering the current economic conditions, it makes sense to take some of the phosphorus out of the soil that growers have been putting in and metabolize it. Rootex is a catalyst in this area.”
Rootex contains Redox Active Molecules (RAM), which maintain electrical balance in plants, keeping nutrients in plant available form for improved uptake.
Additionally, this product is designed with a low salt load, supporting overall soil health. It also strengthens the soil-root connection, ensuring more effective nutrient delivery to the plant.
Rootex has one of the longest track records with Redox, with more than two decades of success in commercial farms throughout the United States.
Like the entire Redox product line, growers can do more with less through Rootex. Application rates range from ¼ to 1 ½ gallons per acre for Rootex Flowable to one to six pounds per acre for the dry technology.
Redox Bio-Nutrients is a family owned and operated business based in Burley, Idaho. Products involve carefully sourced nutrients combined with biostimulants that help with nutrient uptake, abiotic stress defense, root growth and soil health. Redox is the only company in the world with multiple certified biostimulants through rigorous independent analysis from The Fertilizer Institute.
Initial 2026 bearing acreage is estimated at 1,385,870 acres, compared to the 2025 Land IQ Standing Acreage Final Estimate of 1,401,097 million bearing acres. This reflects a decrease of 15,227 bearing acres over the past year.
Land IQ’s recent Initial Estimate does not include total almond acreage. It looked at bearing acreage, specifically orchards planted before 2024 that have matured enough to produce a crop for the coming 2026 harvest. Land IQ’s final report on total acreage and non-bearing acres — including newer plantings not mature enough to produce almonds for commercial consumption — will come out in November.
In addition, Land IQ estimated 47,588 acres of orchard removals, adding to the nearly 49,197 acres removed in the 2024-25 crop year.
The drop in bearing acres is due to orchard removals and a slowdown in new plantings. This comes on the heels of Land IQ’s report in 2025 that found that California’s total almond acreage had dropped four years in a row to 1.52 million acres.
“While we’re seeing stabilization in bearing acreage, global demand remains strong and is the foundation of our industry,” said ABC President and CEO Clarice Turner. “Continued, strategic investment in market development is essential to supporting long-term growth and to position California almonds for the future.”
The Land IQ report is a snapshot of the coming 2026 harvest but does not offer an estimate on the actual almond production for the 2026-27 crop year. A production estimate will be released on May 12 with USDA-NASS’ Subjective Estimate. As of December 2025, the Almond Board of California Board of Directors voted to cease funding for the July USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Objective Measurement Report, making a change in California almond crop estimates going forward.
Land IQ’s final acreage estimate in November of 2026 will cover total acres, bearing acreage, non-bearing acreage and potentially abandoned acres and removals from Sept. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026. Please note that the almond crop year runs Aug. 1-July 31, so this estimate includes the harvest for the 2026-27 crop year.
Land IQ’s Initial Estimate and its Final Acreage Estimate in November are commissioned by the Almond Board of California to provide statistical transparency and a robust picture of California almonds to industry stakeholders around the world. In 2018, ABC first commissioned Land IQ, a Sacramento-based agricultural and environmental scientific research and consulting firm, to develop a comprehensive, living map of California almonds, with the first report issued in 2019. The map is the result of more than a decade of research
— Story Contributed by the Almond Board of California
With spring weather arriving earlier, almond growers in California can expect an earlier influx of pests in their orchards — and to get started sooner on preventing them from harming their nut crops. According to UCCE Sacramento Valley Integrated Pest Management Supervisor Sudan Gyawaly, now is the time to watch out for things like navel orangeworm (NOW), peach twig borers, leaf-footed bugs and spider mites.
Navel Orangeworm (NOW)
Navel orangeworms (Amyelois transitella) are the most prominent pests in almond orchards. These moths lay their eggs on the shells after hull split, and the larvae burrow inside the shell, eating the nuts and sheltering inside. Signs of a NOW infestation in an orchard include:
·Small, flat, oval-shaped eggs outside of almond hulls
·Pinhole-sized holes in almond hulls
·Hulls that are oily in appearance
·Fungal infections of nuts
·Extensive webbing inside the hulls
·Partially eaten nuts
·Larvae that are white to pink in color, with crescent marks behind the head
Navel orangeworm damage to an almond. Photo by Matthew Malcolm
To manage NOW in your orchards, be sure to continuously monitor male flight activity by using pheromone traps. Also continue to monitor NOW egg traps to establish a spring biofix (the first spring flight, which acts as the starting date for calculating growing degree days), to help you predict the timing of their later flights. The first flight usually occurs from late March through April, but earlier times are possible, depending on the weather.
According to UC IPM, prevention is key to avoiding infestation. This includes removing all mummy nuts by the start of February. To eliminate existing NOW populations:
·Establish a biofix
·Hang pheromone dispensers in the treesto disrupt mating
·Assess trap activity and begin spraying at hull split.Apply pesticides at night and early morning for optimal results
·Harvest and clean up as early as possible
·Remove mummy nuts by March 15 of the next year.Mow or disk mummies on the ground.
Peach Twig Borer
While less of a concern in mature orchards, peach twig borer — also a moth — can still be a menace for almond growers in younger fields by causing primary scaffold damage. Begin monitoring pheromone traps in April to establish a biofix and decide if a spray is necessary in May.Consult with your pest control adviser if you are unsure.
Leaf-Footed Bugs
Stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs are especially troublesome after a warm winter. Leaf-footed bugs can be trickier to spot.UC IPM lists the tell-tale signs of an infestation in your orchard as:
·Gummy nuts — nuts withexudates on the outside of the hull —a signature warning
·Nuts that have dropped prematurely
·Black spots on kernels and wrinkled, misshapen nutmeat from adult feeding
·Withered and aborted shells from bugs feeding on premature nuts
Leaf-footed bug
Stink bugs cause similar damage, but this is usually around May or June. Leaf-footed bug management can vary from orchard to orchard, depending on history and severity. Gyawaly advises basing spray decisions on this history plus on damage risk associated with seasonal conditions. Consult with your pest control adviser if you are unsure.
Spider Mites
Typically found in the lower parts of the canopy, spider mites may also come out earlier and in greater numbers with warmer weather. Their presence should be monitored once every two weeks.For this pest, beneficial arthropods that prey on spider mites may be one of your orchard’s best friends. These species include:
·Western predatory mites
·Spider mite destroyers
·Sixspotted thrips
·Pirate bugs
By monitoring and addressing mite and insect pests in the spring, the pest populations can be kept under control to ensure a large, high-quality almond harvest.
The Almond Board of California released its March position report on April 10, showing that industry shipments totaled 258 million pounds. Blue Diamond Growers notes that this is an increase of 16.5% year over year, surpassing expectations. March exports were up 21% compared to last year at 2025.2 million pounds. Export shipments are surpassing last yers pace, leading by 3% at 1.38 billion pounds and domestic shipments for March came in at 1.9% ahead from last year.
“While domestic year-to-date shipments remain behind at 391 million pounds, down 15.9%, the increase this month is worth celebrating after months of softer results. Total industry shipments through March stand at 1.78 billion pounds, down 1.9% versus last year,” Blue Diamond Growers wrote in its March Almond Market Update. “The California almond industry has shown resilience and strong performance despite logistical delays associated with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. With concern around Australian crop quality due to late season rainfall, we may see additional opportunities for California almonds ahead.”
The March shipment performance confirmed an effectively functioning market, with global demand continuing to absorb supply. Export markets remain the primary driver, supported by consistent movement into Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, despite recent disruptions. This includes 39.2 million pounds shipped to India. China/Hong Kong, also saw a 123% increase to 4.1 million pounds following last year’s tariffs. Shipments to Vietnam were at 5.6 million pounds, an 8.5% increase.
The Middle East remains difficult, with reduced activity in the United Arab Emirates, but Turkey has seen an increase of 30% and Pakistan has seen an increase of 170%, indicating that demand is being redistributed rather than eroded.
“The conflict in Iran has been a concerning factor for the industry for over a month. The March report serves as proof that demand across the Middle East remains intact as the region took 21.9 million pounds for the month. The current geopolitical conditions have introduced disruptions and logistical challenges to traditional trade flows in the Persian Gulf,” the Blue Diamond update read. “Saudi Arabia is also expected to act as an alternative routing option to supply regional buyers. The region remains a key demand center with creative execution strategies, and the normalization of logistics is expected to support future activity.”
The market in Europe remains steady, with year-to-date shipments tracking ahead of 2025 by 7%.
With the increase of double-density planting, hazelnut growers in Oregon are removing every other tree, which can be an expensive and labor-intensive process. Hazelnut grower and nursery owner Loren Birkemeier took some time to talk with Matthew Malcolm from Pacific Nut Producer about the most cost-effective ways to remove trees. Watch this quick video and learn more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced the agency is reopening the 2025 crop acreage reporting period required for specialty crop producers who want to apply for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program. Announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins on Feb. 13, the ASCF program is designed to help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation, and market losses from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impede exports. Specialty crop producers now have until April 24, 2026, to report 2025 acres to FSA.
The ASCF program is authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act.
*Dry edible beans and peas covered by the Farmer Bridge Assistance program will not be eligible for ASCF. Commodities covered by FBA will not be eligible for ASCF.
Program Participation
ASCF payments are based on reported 2025 planted acres. Eligible farmers should ensure their 2025 acreage reporting is factual and accurate by Friday, April 24, 2026. USDA will release commodity-specific payment rates soon after the acreage reporting deadline.
Following completion of acreage reporting, producers are encouraged to prepare for the eventual announcement of the ASCF program application period by creating a Login.gov account. Doing so ensures that once FSA starts taking ASCF program applications, those producers who wish to apply online will experience an expedited application and payment process. Assistance will also be available through local FSA county offices.
Login.gov is the public’s one account for government engagement. Producers can use one account and password for secure, private access to participating government agencies, including FSA. Begin the Login.gov process by visiting fsa.usda.gov/fba to create a Login.gov account. Producers who have an existing Login.gov account can work with FSA using their existing account. For assistance creating a login.govaccount, visit https://login.gov/help/.
Crop insurance linkage will not be required for the ASCF program. However, USDA strongly urges producers to take advantage of the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) risk management tools to best protect against price risk and volatility in the future.
More information on ASCF is available online at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/fba. Producers can contact their local FSA county office to make an appointment to complete their 2025 crop acreage report. — By the USDA Farm Service Agency
