Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Category: Walnuts

  • Increase of Chilean Almond & Walnut Production/Exports Forecasted

    The USDA Foreign Ag Serive (Post) projects increased production in both Chilean walnuts and almonds in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 due to high yields caused by plentiful rainfall and favorable temperatures. Post estimates walnut production will reach 195,000 metric tons (MT) in MY 2024/25, a 11.4 percent increase year over year. Walnut exports will total 192,500 MT (in-shell basis), which represents a 12.1 percent increase over MY 2023/24. Meanwhile, walnut area planted is projected to increase only slightly, continuing a trend from recent years of stagnating growth. Producers have shifted to more profitable crops such as cherries, lemons, and mandarins, and because of changes in land use as urban areas continue to expand in the central area of the country. For almonds, Post projects that production will reach 11,500 MT for MY 2024/25, a 1.8 percent increase over MY 2023/24. Chilean almond exports will total 7,600 MT, a 4.1 percent increase over MY 2023/24.

    Commodities:

    Walnuts, Inshell Basis

    Production:

    In MY 2024/25, due to high yields, Post estimates walnut production at 195,000 MT, a 11.4 percent increase year over year. Post expects yields to increase in MY 2024/25, due to a winter with abundant rainfall and chill hour accumulation, and assuming no unexpected climatic events during the spring and summer which could lower production. In MY 2023/24, yields were low as production was hindered due to unfavorable climatic conditions.

    Post expects area planted in MY 2024/25 to increase slightly, by 0.8 percent, to 45,000 hectares because growth in the central-southern walnut production regions is offset by a decrease in the central- northern regions.

    In MY 2023/24, area planted decreased by 3.5 percent, totaling 44,626 hectares (Figure 1). Area planted is concentrated mainly in the central-south part of the country, specifically in the Metropolitana, O’Higgins and Maule regions, which together hold over 72 percent of the area planted (table 2). However, area planted in the Metropolitana region, the top walnut producing region in Chile, decreased by 5.5 percent. Walnut area planted was replaced by more profitable crops such as cherries, lemons, and mandarins, or was displaced by expansion of the urban area. Walnut area planted also decreased in the regions in the central-north part of the country, Valparaiso and Coquimbo. In these regions, area planted with walnuts was replaced mainly by citrus and cherries.

    Consumption:

    In MY 2024/25, Post estimates consumption at 2,850 MT, a 1.8 percent increase over MY 2023/24, following higher production and population growth which is situated at close to one percent annually. Producers export most of their walnut production, and domestic consumption of walnuts represents a little over one percent of total production. Local consumers use shelled walnuts for snacks. Walnuts for snacks are generally the highest quality in terms of color, size and shape. The confectionary industry uses fragmented walnuts as an ingredient in desserts, pastries, and chocolates.

    Trade:

    For MY 2024/25, due to higher production, Post projects 192,500 MT of walnut exports (in-shell basis), which represents a 12.1 percent increase over MY 2023/24. For MY 2023/24, Post estimates that walnut exports will finalize at 171,788 MT, which represents a 9.9 percent decrease from the previous marketing year.

    Figure 2 shows monthly export volume of walnuts. In MY 2023/24, monthly exports show low volumes compared to the previous marketing year, especially in May and June, which are regularly peak export months. The low exports volumes follow low production volumes and a reduction in walnut quality due to unfavorable climatic conditions.

    In MY 2023/24 (January to June data) exports decreased by 40.6 percent in volume and 32.2 percent in value (see Table 3 and Table 4). Post estimates that this high decrease in exports is due to the low export volumes observed in the first half of MY 2023/24. Post expects exports to increase in August and September, which are peak export months for Chilean walnuts.

    In MY 2022/23 Turkey, India and Italy were the top markets for Chilean walnuts. The Chilean walnut export industry has focused a lot of its marketing efforts in developing the Indian market. Exports to India increased by 108 percent and became Chile’s top market for in-shell walnuts, displacing Turkey, which had been the top market for in-shell walnuts in the past. On the other hand, the European market imports most of the Chilean shelled walnuts.

    Stocks:

    Post projects MY 2024/25 stocks at 4,000 MT, unchanged from the previous marketing year, assuming regular market conditions. Chilean walnut exporters do not store large quantities of walnuts unless there are specific market conditions that justify it, such as high freight costs or low prices. Post estimates MY 2023/24 stocks at 4,000 MT, which is a 29.5 percent increase over MY 2022/23. This increase is due to a lower quality crop, which decreased the share of almonds that complied with export quality requirements, which will result in an increase in stocks.

    Policy:

    No policy updates since the last GAIN report.

    Commodities:

    Almonds, Shelled Basis

    Production:

    For MY 2024/25, Post estimates almond area planted at 8,700 hectares, a 0.3 percent decrease over MY 2023/24 (see Table 5). Almond area planted spans from the Coquimbo region, in the northern part of the country, to the O’Higgins region in the central south. The top almond producing region in Chile is the O’Higgins region, which holds 37.7 percent of the area planted and which grew 11.1 percent in the past three years (table 6). On the contrary, the second top production region, the Metropolitana region, decreased by 13.3 percent in a three-year period. The Metropolitana region comprises 35.9 percent of the almond area planted.

    For MY 2024/25, Post projects that production will reach 11,500 MT, a 1.8 percent increase over MY 2023/24. This increase is driven by high yields and assumes no adverse climatic events that could hinder production. In MY 2023/24, almonds experienced adverse climatic conditions which lowered yields. As a result, Post estimates MY 2023/24 production volume will decrease by 9.6 percent and total 11,300 metric tons. However, almond production remains a good and relatively profitable alternative to other crops which have grown substantially in area planted, such as cherries, citrus, and walnuts.

    Consumption:

    In MY 2023/24, Post projects almond consumption at 7,700 MT, a 1.3 percent increase over MY 2022/23 due to population growth and a high demand for almonds. The domestic market for almonds is attractive for producers due to the competitive prices observed in Chile. Post estimates that 67 percent of commercial production is consumed domestically.

    Chile also imports almonds for use in the confectionary industry. The industry uses imported almonds to produce chocolates since they require smaller sized flat almonds that are not characteristic of the Chilean varieties.

    Trade:

    In MY 2024/25, Post estimates that total exports of Chilean almonds will reach 7,600 MT, a 4.1 percent increase over MY 2023/24 due to the higher yields and production volume. In MY 2023/24 (data until June), Chilean almond exports decreased by 20.5 percent in volume and 6.3 percent in value over MY 2022/23 (see Table 7 and 8). This decrease in exports follows the decrease in production.

    Figure 4 shows monthly almond exports. Almond monthly export volume in MY 2023/24 is lower compared to the previous marketing year. This reduction in exports is explained by lower almond production. Exports usually peak between June and October each marketing year since exporters can pack and store until they can allocate their exports and maximize their sale price.

    Top markets for Chilean almonds are Argentina, Russia, and Ecuador. Exports to Argentina grew by 10.2 percent in MY 2022/23. Exports to Russia grew by 59.6 percent as market conditions for Chilean exporters recovered in MY 2022/23. Ecuador remains the third top market for Chilean almonds, although almond export to Ecuador decreased by 10.5 percent in MY 2022/23.

    Post estimates that in MY 2024/25 almond imports will increase by 14.3 percent and total 4,000 MT to cover domestic consumption needs. Post expects an increase in imports as production remains virtually stagnant and consumption keeps growing at a moderate rate. The United States remains the top supplier of almonds to Chile. In MY 2023/24 (data until June), Chile imported 1,675 MT of almonds, representing a 3.3 percent increase over MY 2022/23. Ninety-nine percent of total almond imports were sourced from the United States.

    Stocks:

    Post estimates stocks in MY 2024/25 at 819 MT, a 32.3 percent increase, assuming higher production. Chilean almond exporters do not store large stocks of almonds, and stocks correspond to regular remaining monthly stocks.

    Policy:

    No policy updates since the last GAIN report. — By Sergio Gonzalez, USDA Foreign Ag Service

  • Prepare to Prevent an Autumn Freeze from Damaging Walnut Trees

    Autumn freeze damage in walnuts can occur when trees experience freezing temperatures prior to going into dormancy. In recent history, Sacramento Valley growers experienced this most severely in 2018, and since then, many have implemented management practices to prevent widespread damage.

    Symptoms of freeze damage can include:

    • Late leaf-out in affected limbs
    • Weak or dead terminal budwood and smaller upper limbs (mild/moderate damage)
    • Major limb death, mainly in the upper and exposed portions of the tree, and/or apparent whole tree death (severe damage)
    • Darkened or orange-tinted wood, with gray/black streaking in the cambium underneath
    • Sunburn on damaged limbs, usually on south- and west-facing sides

    This past spring (2024), growers in Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, and Tehama counties reported symptoms of freeze damage, likely from an early autumn freeze that occurred near Halloween. If you noticed any of these symptoms in your orchards this past spring or are aware of cold pockets in certain areas/fields, consider the following steps to prevent another year of freeze damage.

    Preventative management:

    Increase soil heat storage:

    1. For young trees, it’s best to cut off N applications by mid-August to prevent tender new growth that is most vulnerable to freeze damage. Also, withhold irrigation starting in early to mid-September to set a terminal bud on the trunk (Figure 2). After the terminal bud has set, resume irrigation to avoid tree stress and defoliation, without the fear of pushing tender new growth.

    2. For mature trees, cut off nitrogen (N) applications by the beginning of September. Terminal buds may set as a positive side effect of the water cutoff done ahead of harvest to avoid shaker injury.

    Increase soil heat storage:

    3. Maintain short groundcover during autumn frost season, beginning mid-October. Keeping groundcovers cut to 2 inches or less during frost season allows sunlight to reach the soil surface, increasing soil heat storage for a warmer orchard through the night. Recently cultivated soil has many air spaces, low heat storage capacity, and low heat conductivity resulting in colder minimum temperatures. The ground surface must be moist for bare ground to be the warmest (see steps 4 and 5).

    4. Trees that remain water-stressed after the heat of summer are the most vulnerable to autumn and winter freeze damage. If there has not been adequate rainfall by mid-October for young orchards, or immediately after harvest for mature orchards, begin irrigating to refill the soil profile.

    5. Water-filled spaces in the soil conduct and store more heat than empty air spaces. Once the soil profile has been refilled, the top several inches of soil are the most important for freeze mitigation and should be kept at field capacity (not saturated/ponding) if possible. Either a dry surface crust on one extreme or a frozen sheet of ponded water on the other extreme will both hinder the re-radiation of stored daytime heat during the night.

    6. Continue to actively monitor soil moisture and freeze predictions in November and December (until trees are acclimated to frost – see note below). Since freeze events are variable depending on location, monitoring each block remotely with a freeze alarm makes good sense. If a freeze is predicted and the soil is dry, irrigate to wet the soil 2 to 3 days before a freeze event to fill the air spaces so the soil will store more heat. Light irrigation to moisten a dry soil surface the morning before a freeze will help obtain the greatest heat storage for re-radiation at night (as long as there is no standing water during the freeze event).

    Active irrigation during freeze event:

    7. Some growers with the ability to actively irrigate during sudden autumn freeze events have reported success in preventing damage. With active irrigation, heat is given off as water converts from liquid to ice. This occurs during the coldest hours of the early morning of the freeze event and is the reason higher flow rates are needed to more successfully manage frost events.

      • We know from work in almonds that active frost protection with solid set irrigation can achieve as much as 4 degrees protection if your system can run 40 gpm/ac.
      • With micro-sprinkler irrigation, 1-2 degrees of warming can be achieved with at least 30 gpm/ac. 25 gpm/ac has been shown to be enough to keep sprinkler heads from freezing.

    Painting:

    8. In addition to water management, painting young trunks and shoots white can minimize damage if applied as soon as possible after a freeze. Research by UC Walnut Specialist Bruce Lampinen has shown painting after leaf fall with white interior latex paint diluted 50% with water minimizes damage to shoots and buds, especially on the south-west side of the tree. The paint moderates large day-to-night temperature fluctuations after sunny winter days.

    Treatment:

    If you suspect freeze damage occurred, cut into the branches shortly after a freeze event and check the tissue for drying or browning. Swift action in the week after a freeze event can significantly decrease damage. If you don’t paint early, painting trees after a freeze can still help decrease severe damage. Wilbur Reil, Farm Advisor Emeritus, found that when trees were painted a week after a freeze event 18% showed damage, compared with 46% damaged in the unpainted trees. Painting any parts that may be damaged should improve recovery and protect against winter sunburn of affected tissue.

    New growth typically occurs below the damaged/dead locations. Dead wood should be pruned out later in the season (mid-summer), after the tree has fully leafed out, to reduce potential colonization sites by Bot or Phomopsis. In young trees with significant freeze damage, remaining limbs or new limbs may have to be trained as new scaffolds.

    Potential causes:

    In “normal” years, the combination of short days, gradually dropping fall temperatures, and rainfall pattern allows trees to go into dormancy in a stepwise pattern (2021 and 2022 in Figure 3 below). In years where we’ve received more reports of autumn freeze damage, there have been large differences in daily high and low temperature (2020), and sudden drops to freezing temperatures prior to trees reaching full dormancy (2020 and 2023).

    As temperatures drop into the low 30s °F and days shorten, carbohydrates move from leaves to wood and starch converts to soluble sugars. Slow cooling is needed to promote starch degradation into sugars, which act as “antifreeze” to protect cells from freezing, as does adequate soil moisture, which keeps cells hydrated. When temperatures suddenly and prematurely drop below 32°F before the acclimation process is completed, carbohydrate movement is likely disrupted and trees are susceptible to freeze damage.

    Unfortunately, we do not know how many frost/mild freeze events are required to sufficiently acclimate trees in autumn. So far, growers that were previously hit hard by fall freeze events have reported success in avoiding subsequent freeze damage by having frost alarms ready and turned on by October 15, completely rehydrating trees after harvest, and actively irrigating during freeze events. Eventually, once mature healthy trees are fully dormant, they can tolerate temperatures to the low 20s °F or below. — By Clarissa Reyes, Orchards Advisor, Sutter-Yuba, Butte & Placer Counties, and Luke Milliron, UCCE Farm Advisor Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties

  • 2024 California Walnut Harvest Begins With More Optimism

    California walnut growers are expecting a shorter crop this year, but high quality product. With a lower carry-in inventory, things are looking more positive in the market ahead. Watch this brief interview with Robert Verloop, CEO of the California Walnut Board & Commission, as he met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to share highlights of this year’s walnut crop and a look at global market trends. Verloop will be sharing the State of the Walnut Industry report at Malcolm Media’s Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo on Nov. 8th at the Fresno Fairgrounds and at the Tree & Vine Expo on Nov. 12th at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, so be sure to register to attend free at https://agexpo.biz/.

  • War in Ukraine Leads to Lackluster Investment in Future of Walnut Industry

    The USDA Foreign Ag Service forecasts Ukraine’s walnut production at 101,300 metric tons (MT) for marketing year (MY) 2024/25, a 4 percent decrease against MY2023/24. Household production continues to slide as old, non- productive trees are being chopped down. Post forecasts production areas for industrial growers to remain flat, as there is currently little appetite for long-term investments due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. Post forecasts MY2024/25 exports will decrease by 9 percent as large ending stocks, which were predominantly amassed during MY2021/22, have been slowly depreciating for two consecutive MYs. At the same time, rebounding imports of tree nuts in line with economic recovery and adjustment to the “new normal” are putting downward pressure on volumes of domestically consumed walnuts.

    SSSU published official production numbers for CY2023. The total walnut reported area is 16,400 ha, a 4.1 percent decrease compared to the previous CY. Walnut production is reported at 106,120 MT, similar to the previous CY. Post accepts these as MY2023/24 estimates. Note that a MY for Ukraine starts in September and ends in August; therefore, MY2023/24 refers to the period between September 2023 and August 2024.

    The main reason for sliding production area is a constant area decrease by households (Figure 1). The majority of walnuts harvested in Ukraine are produced by individuals or small private family farms harvesting trees on their land or in the vicinity of their farms. This category of producers is not typically concerned with the application of fertilizers and agrochemicals and uses manual labor to harvest and shell walnuts. Harvested walnuts are typically sold to intermediaries, who assemble batches for export or store them in-house in times of low demand or unfavorable prices.

    In CY2015, over 95 percent of Ukrainian walnut production area was on small, private family farms. In CY2023, these farms represented around 74 percent of total area. Post predicts this downward trend in walnut production on family farms will continue in the medium to long term as aging trees lose their productivity and are chopped down. However, family farms still enjoy a dominant position in production volumes, as they hold an absolute majority of the bearing tree area compared to industrial growers – 81 percent for CY2023.

    The main reason for decreasing production area among households is Ukrainian farmers began developing walnut orchards for commercial purposes in 2009. The average size of these commercial orchards ranges from 20 to 50 ha. The establishment of commercial farms can be attributed to pre-2022 GOU financial support for orchard and berry producers and the establishment of the agricultural land market in Ukraine. Industry notes that farmers were investing in high-yield commercial orchards with multiple walnut varieties, installing irrigation systems, and applying fertilizers. Some regions, especially in central and southern Ukraine, require irrigation to secure expected yields, while orchards in the northern part of Ukraine may experience lower yields because of the cooler climate. In southern Ukraine, seedlings can be planted in autumn, while in northern Ukraine, it is still advisable to plant in spring to avoid winter frost damage for newly planted trees. Walnuts are normally harvested from the end of September through the end of October.

    According to SSSU data, commercial growers scaled down their total walnut areas to 4,300 ha for MY2023/24 from a peak area of 5,600 ha in MY2019/20. This might be an indication that some growers went out of business due to uncertainties caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and are subsequently cutting down or leaving behind the newly established orchards.

    Professional growers are currently reluctant to make long-term investments due to the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. Fruit tree import dynamics confirm this (Figure 2). The initial investment required to establish an orchard ranges from $1,200 to $1,800 per ha. Read the full report from the USDA Foreign Ag Service HERE.

  • 2024 California Walnut Crop Forecast Down Significantly

    The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the official 2024 California Walnut Industry Objective Measurement Report on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. The 2024 California walnut production is forecasted at 670,000 tons (607,814 MT), down 19% from 2023’s production of 824,000 tons (747,520 MT). The forecast is based on 370,000 bearing acres, down 4% from 2023’s estimated bearing acreage of 385,000 acres.

    The September 4th announcement from USDA provides the industry with an objective crop volume estimate. Using scientific methodologies, USDA field staff counted, measured, weighed, and evaluated thousands of walnuts from major growing regions in July and August for use in a statistical acreage model to establish the annual walnut crop estimate.

    In addition to the updated acreage and crop estimate, the CA walnut industry is finalizing the close out of the 2023 crop year. While final shipment and inventory figures will be released later this month, preliminary data indicates that the 2023 crop is virtually sold out.

    As anticipated, the upcoming 2024 crop is lower than the historic record crop of 2023 and will deliver the high quality that defines California walnuts globally,” said Robert Verloop, Executive Director and CEO of the California Walnut Board and Commission. “The 2024 estimated crop size, while moderate, is similar to the 2019 crop. In addition, due to strong summer demand, we expect the end of season shipment report to show the carry-in volume to be substantially less than last year. Combined, the carry in and new 2024 crop volumes are very manageable, providing improved seller and buyer confidence and stable markets.

    “As an industry, based on the favorable crop statistics and overall market conditions, we feel confident about the upcoming crop year. We continue to focus on delivering quality all the way to the consumer, with enhanced handling of walnuts through the supply chain and increasing our demand-building initiatives to drive more sales and excitement for California walnuts. We continue to work to make walnuts more relevant to consumers as a nut for every day eating occasions and partnering with retailers, bringing visibility and excitement to walnuts with expanded offerings of package size options, flavors, and more walnut products. Together as an industry, we are focused on building more consumer demand while delivering high-quality California walnuts around the world.”

    About the California Walnut Board  and Commission

    The California Walnut Board (CWB) and California Walnut Commission (CWC) represent more than 4,600 California walnut growers and nearly 70 handlers, grown in multi-generational farmers’ family orchards. California walnuts, known for their excellent nutritional value and quality, are shipped around the world all year long, with more than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States being from California. The CWB, established in 1948, promotes usage of walnuts in the United States through publicity and educational programs. The CWB also provides funding for walnut production, food safety and post-harvest research. The CWC, established in 1987, is involved in health research with consuming walnuts as well as domestic and export market development activities.

    To explore recipes and learn more about California walnut growers, industry information and health research, visit walnuts.org.

  • Rabobank Reports Slowdown in International Walnut Trade and Production Expansion

    The walnut industry is navigating a period of significant adversity, with several key regions grappling with a host of challenges that have impacted production and trade. These include persistent drought conditions, stringent water regulations, rising costs, logistical hurdles, intensifying competition, and subdued demand, all of which have exerted downward pressure on walnut prices. According to a recent RaboResearch report, as a result of these challenges, acreage reduction is expected in key regions. As for international trade, exports from Chile and China will decelerate, while the US will sustain its share.

    Producers focus on balancing the supply-demand equation

    In order to counter the many challenges they are experiencing, producers are expected to reduce acreage, particularly in areas with less competitive walnut varieties and more severe water constraints. “The industry’s focus is now on enhancing efficiency and producing higher-quality walnuts to achieve a more balanced supply-demand equation,” explains David Magaña, Senior Analyst – Fresh produce and tree nuts for RaboResearch. “Although prices are showing signs of recovery, they continue to linger below the break-even point in certain regions. But we remain optimistic about the potential for profitable operations in the near future.”

    Deceleration in production expansion after two decades of growth

    The global walnut production landscape has seen a steady compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5% over the past decade. Four major regions – China (48%), the US (27%), Chile (7%), and the EU (6%) – dominate production and have collectively contributed to 89% of the world’s walnut output. While China and Chile have experienced CAGRs of 5% and 13% respectively, the US and the EU have seen a more modest growth rate of 4% CAGR over the past ten seasons.

    However, the trend of increasing production is set to plateau, with some of the largest producing areas expected to witness a gradual decline in acreage due to economic and environmental pressures. The phasing out of older, less productive orchards and traditional varieties is anticipated to be a key factor in this reduction.

    China remains the world’s top walnut producer and consumer

    On the consumption front, China, the EU, the US, and Turkey collectively represent 75% of global walnut consumption. Notably, the UAE and India have emerged as significant growth markets, with CAGRs of 23% and 12% respectively, signaling a growing demand in these regions.

    For China, the world’s top walnut producer and consumer, the upcoming 2023/24 season marks the fifth consecutive year in which domestic production will surpass consumption by over 100,000 metric tons, reinforcing China’s position as a significant net exporter. The industry consensus indicates a stabilization in China’s walnut production and export levels in the coming years.

    The international trade outlook shows a slowdown

    “The trajectory of global walnut exports has been remarkable, soaring from around 300,000 metric tons in the mid-2000s to approximately 1 million metric tons in recent seasons,” says Magaña. The past decade has seen a 7% CAGR in exports, with notable increases from China, Chile, and Turkey. Despite a reduction in its export share from 64% in the 2014/15 season to about 45%, the US remains the leading exporter of walnuts.

    The future, however, points to a deceleration in exports from Chile and China, while the US is expected to sustain its share of 45% to 50% in the international walnut market.

    The top five importing countries – the EU, Turkey, the UAE, Kyrgyzstan, and India – account for 62% of global walnut imports. Their respective shares stand at 31%, 11%, 9%, 6%, and 5%. Notably, imports by India, the UAE, and Kyrgyzstan have surged, with CAGRs of 25%, 18%, and 15% respectively over the last five marketing seasons.

    For more details on the report, reach out to David Magaña at david.magana@rabobank.com or (559)970-1100.

  • CA Walnut Commission Celebrates USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) Awards

    The California Walnut Commission (CWC), representing more than 4,600 California walnut growers, mostly multi-generational family farms, and nearly 70 handlers, is pleased to announce it has been awarded $7 million in funding as part of the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) to expand distribution and sales of California Walnuts in international markets.

    The CWC thanks Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Foreign Agricultural Service for enactingthe Regional Agricultural Promotion Program and recent award announcements to help support the expansion of California Walnuts and other US commodity exports into emerging markets. This additional funding will allow the industry to expand programs into new markets as well as boost activities in existing strategic export markets, with the goal of increasing distribution and driving sales of high-quality California walnuts globally.

    RAPP funding will enhance the Commission’s work by expanding market access in new opportunity markets, in conjunction with driving sales of California walnuts in international markets currently funded through the Market Access Program (MAP). The CWC plans to attain success by leveraging the combined funding to conduct similar programs and activities as it was able to achieve in the United Kingdom (UK) utilizing the one-time Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) funds. In the UK, the industry was able to build programs that drove additional displays and distribution, resulting in increased retail sales and growing California walnut shipments +65% since 2018. The UK is now a top ten export market.

    “Funding from the Market Access Program has been essential to our success over the years, and the introduction of RAPP funds will provide additional opportunities to drive new distribution and grow sales for California walnuts in even more new and exciting ways” said Robert Verloop, CEO for California Walnut Commission. “We’re eager for the opportunity of RAPP to expand sales of and expand market access for California walnuts.”

    About the California Walnut Commission

    The California Walnut Commission (CWC) represents more than 4,600 California walnut growers and nearly 70 handlers, grown in multi-generational farmers’ family orchards. California walnuts, known for their excellent nutritional value and quality, are shipped around the world all year long, with more than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States being from California. The CWC, established in 1987, promotes usage of walnuts through domestic and export market development activities as well as supports health research with consuming walnuts.

    To explore recipes and learn more about California walnut growers, industry information and health research, visit walnuts.org

  • California Walnut Industry Supports USDA’s Expansion of Food Offerings to Include Walnut-Based Products

    The California Walnut Commission (CWC) supports the recent announcements by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the authorization of nuts and seeds to comprise the full meat/meat alternative component of meals in the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Child Nutrition Programs. This follows the recent notice of the addition of nut and seed butters, such as walnut butter, as alternatives to peanut butter and eggs in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

    The CWC believes these changes align more closely with U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and better promote nutrition security. Walnuts are an important component of a healthy diet for Americans and allow for broader access to food choices and nutrition.

    This is an important strategic step forward in providing increased access to California walnuts to both underserved and school-aged populations. Robert Verloop, CEO for the CWC stated, “California walnuts are a great tasting, nutrient-dense food which fits with USDA recommendations and provide a wide-range of nutritional benefits, including essential omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA).  We are excited for the addition for walnuts and walnut butter to be available for consumers looking for more plant-based options, vegetarian diets and other food preferences.” CWC provided comments to USDA in February 2023 on food products available in the WIC food packages and in March 2023 on the revisions to the Child Nutrition Programs, for the allowance of nuts to be 100% of the meat/meat alternative component of meals.

    The California walnut industry applauds USDA for the FNS Child Nutrition and WIC program revisions and looks forward to supporting these food assistance efforts by providing high quality, nutritious and safe walnuts and walnut products for schools and the community participating in the WIC program.

    About the California Walnut Board and Commission

    The California Walnut Commission (CWC) represents more than 4,600 California walnut growers and nearly 75 handlers, grown in multi-generational farmers’ family orchards. More than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States are from California, which in 2023 accounted for 1.64 billion pounds of walnuts, shipping into more than 50 countries around the world. The CWB also provides funding for walnut production, food safety and post-harvest research. The CWC, established in 1987, is mainly involved in health research and export market development activities. For more industry information, health research and recipe ideas, visit www.walnuts.org.

  • Christine Lott Joins California Walnut Board & Commission as Director of Communications

    The California Walnut Board & Commission is pleased to announce Christine Lott as their new Director of Integrated Communications.  Christine comes to the Board & Commission with extensive communications and product marketing experience having worked for thirteen years at Blue Diamond Growers as the senior global brand manager.  She led the marketing department for the international consumer division, which encompasses all branded products available in retail stores under the Blue Diamond brand in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. This division included milks (Almond Breeze), snack nuts, and various other nut-based products. In this role Christine, developed and implemented marketing programs, digital and social media, public relations programs.

    Most recently Christine worked in new business development for Safe Food Alliance (SFA).  Previously, Christine worked for the California pear industry, the California Cherry Board and Stemilt World Famous Fruits. She coordinated the marketing and promotion activities which included advertising, public relations, industry communications, event coordination and sales promotion, category management, ad planning, merchandising and promotion tactics targeting major retail grocery chains throughout the US and Canada to build partner relationships and generate incremental sales.

    She has a consumer-focused mindset which aligns with the Board & Commission’s efforts in retail category management and volume growth through sales activation, one of their strategic initiatives.  In addition, Christine’s hands on experience in new product launches of fresh and manufactured foods will be an asset as the Board & Commission expands another strategic initiative in product innovation for the food manufacturing/ingredient and foodservice channels.

    Christine has a great appreciation and respect for the complexities in agriculture and for family farms, having been raised on a California dairy farm. “Combined with her 20 years of extensive food marketing and communications experience and work on behalf of growers throughout her career, Christine, has the background, experience, and knowledge to help shape and deliver our integrated consumer, industry, and product communications platform,” shared Robert Verloop, President/CEO of the California Walnut Board & Commission.  “Please join me in welcoming Christine to our industry and the California Walnut Board & Commission.”

    Christine will work in the Folsom office and can be reached at 916-932-7070 or clott@walnuts.org.

  • 2023-2024 Winter Chill, Dormancy & Walnut Management Update

    Walnuts are one of the highest chill requirement tree crops in California. Though it’s easy to forget given the luxuriously high amounts of chill last year, multiple recent winters have fallen short of the chill accumulation needed for a tight, economical walnut bloom (e.g. 2014, 2015, 2020). Inadequate winter chill accumulation can result in delayed budbreak, scattered or prolonged budbreak and buds on southern sides of branches never opening. Prolonged bloom can result in a wider variety in nut sizes, more small nuts, and multiple shakes, while also complicating timing of control measures for blight or husk split pests. In the next 20-40 years, Central Valley walnut orchards will get 14-20% less winter chill than in the 1950s when many of our grandparents were farming. Anecdotal experience suggests the chilling requirement for ‘Chandler’ is around 60-65 chill portions as quantified by the Dynamic Model. Given decreased chill projections it is likely that currently planted ‘Chandler’ orchards will not meet their chilling requirement in at least one out of ten years in most of the Central Valley in the coming decades, if left to their own devices. While we wait for high quality lower chill varieties to develop, how can walnut growers manage the chilling requirements of the orchards in the ground now? This has been the topic of many recent years of UC research with funding from the California Walnut Board and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

    Looking at a sampling of four CIMIS weather stations using the UC Fruit & Nut Center chill calculator tool, on average the Sacramento Valley has accumulated 41 chill portions to date (written January 14th). This is about 20% below last year, and more in keeping with the winter of 2019-2020. While 2019-2020 was a low chill accumulation winter, that was due in large part to a fairly warm February. Thus, it’s too early to say if this is a year in which dormancy breaking treatments would be beneficial. Keep an eye on the UC Fruit & Nut Center’s chill calculator. Nonetheless, it’s good to be aware for future winters that there are options in the toolbox.

    For three winters, we have been studying the impact of a number of dormancy breaking treatments to give growers tools to deal with low chill winters (see here for more detail on previous years). Rather than wait for low chill years to come along, we’ve created warm winter conditions in large, open-top chambers that we’ve built around mature Chandler trees at the UC Davis campus. These trees were coupled with unheated trees that got sufficient winter chill. Approximately 30-40 days before (what we hoped would be) budbreak, dormancy breaking treatments were applied to different scaffolds in each tree. We then monitored budbreak over many weeks to quantify timing of 50% budbreak, the duration of budbreak and the percent of buds that opened on a scaffold.

    Over the course of three years, we’ve tested hydrogen cyanamide, often marketed as Dormex®, a blend of nitrogen compounds marketed as Erger®, an analogue of the plant hormone cytokinin, marketed as Mocksi®, and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN-17), all of which were compared with a water control. Dormex is the only one of these products currently labeled for use as a dormancy breaker in walnuts (see label for more use details). Erger and CAN-17 are labeled as fertilizers. Over the last two years (2021 and 2022), we found that at least in terms of budbreak timing, it appears Dormex at 2% and 4% and CAN-17 at 20% could prompt heated scaffolds to behave like they had received enough chill, whereas Erger at 6% only partially compensates for lack of winter chill. Dormex at 4% moved timing even earlier than the sufficiently chilled control, whereas Erger moved the timing but only about halfway between the timing of the heated control and the sufficiently chilled control. No effect was seen using Mocksi over two years.

    This previous winter-spring, we put Dormex at 2% and 4% head-to-head. Given that last year was a very high chill winter, it was hard to force insufficient chill accumulation, even with our heated tents. Ambient trees accumulated 78-82 chill portions, while heated trees accumulated 10-12% less, 69-74 chill portions. Both Dormex at 2% and 4% moved terminal and lateral budbreak timing on the heated trees to similar values as seen in the unheated control, in essence compensating for the chill difference. Dormex at 2% also increased the percent of buds that opened, to values as high (lateral buds) or higher (terminal buds) than the unheated control scaffolds. Budbreak percent was not different between Dormex at 4% and the water control within heated or unheated trees. In other words, under these conditions of 69-74 chill portions, it would not have been beneficial to use Dormex at a rate higher than 2%. However, even given this range of chill accumulation, which is considered sufficient, 2% Dormex increased lateral budbreak from 29% to 42% and terminal budbreak from 89% to 98%. That said, in unheated trees, which accumulated 78-82 chill portions, there was no significant increase in budbreak from Dormex use at either rate.

    With generous collaboration from two grower hosts, we also compared Dormex at both 2% and 4% and CAN-17 last year at a field scale, to be able to collect yield data, in addition to budbreak data. At one healthy orchard just a few years into its prime yielding years (10th leaf) near Glenn County, where 73 chill portions accumulated (similar to heated trees on campus), we saw the same change in budbreak timing (3 days earlier) across each treatment when compared to no treatment. This did not lead to significant differences in yield, contrary to what the increased percentage of budbreak in the campus heated tented trees might have led us to expect. Yields ranged on average from 6,240-6,690 lb per acre across treatments. Across size quality measurements (percent jumbos, large, average nut weight, edible yield), nuts from the Dormex treatments were not significantly different from the control, though relative to the control nuts, the CAN-17 treatment had a lower average percentage of large and jumbo nuts (52% v. 64%) and lower average weight (9.15 g v. 10.09 g). There were no differences in color quality as measured by reflected light index (RLI) among any of the treatments.

    At the Chandler orchard at the Nickels Soils Lab, where 82 chill portions were accumulated (similar to unheated trees on campus), there was a small but significant change in timing of budbreak in each treatment relative to the control (3 days). Surprisingly, however, there was also an increase in yield in the 4% Dormex treatments relative to the control, yielding on average more than 1,400 lb more per acre (5,216 lb vs. 6,857 lb). The average yields in the Dormex at 2% treatment and the CAN-17 treatment were also numerically higher than the control (1,019 lb higher and 719 lb higher, respectively), but there was a great deal of variability in different replicates, making it difficult to statistics to decipher if yield differences can be attributed to the treatments. There were no differences between any of the treatments and the control treatment across size quality measurements (percent jumbos, large, average nut weight, edible yield) or color quality (RLI).

    It is perilous to draw conclusions about dormancy treatment efficacy at a field scale based on one high chill year’s data. The difference in yield effects at the Glenn County orchard and Nickels Soils Lab is intriguing. The Nickels site is an older orchard at a tighter spacing, suffering from significant limb dieback from shading coupled with Botryosphaeria infections. One possible explanation for the yield difference would be that the Nickels site benefitted from treatments that encouraged additional budbreak, whereas at the healthy, high yielding Glenn County orchard there was already sufficient budbreak without intervention. Knowing that June drop generally reduces cropload, it’d make sense that increased budbreak, as we saw in the campus trees with 2% Dormex, would not necessarily lead to increased yield. Given high chill accumulation in healthy orchards, dormancy breaking treatments are unlikely to pay for themselves at current walnut prices. If chill accumulation is lower than ~60 chill portions, our heated tent data indicates they may pay for themselves, but we’ll need yield data at production scale to know for sure. The Nickels results point to the possibility that dormancy breaking treatments may be of use in orchards with limb dieback. At the same time, we need to be cautious to watch for swings in yield this coming year that may result from over-taxing the already struggling trees. Particularly given how tight walnut budgets are these days, I’d wait for more data before trying out this orchard-renewal strategy at a large scale if I were a grower.

    We’ll continue this project with funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to improve understanding of ideal rates and timings, and the physiological response to these treatments inside the trees. Stay tuned! — By Katherine Jarvis-Shean, Orchard Systems Advisor UCCE Sacramento-Solano-Yolo