HDR1012000140100628951500Almond Production                                      
HDR2012000140100628951500Almond Production Narrative                            
                                                                                
                                                                                
Released June 28, 1995, by the Agricultural Statistics Board.                   
                                                                                
                                                                                
                Almond Production Down 58 Percent From Last Year                
                                                                                
California's 1995 almond production is forecast at 310 million meat pounds, down
28 percent from the May forecast and down 58 percent from last year's record    
high.  Bearing acreage is revised to 390,000 acres.  Production from the        
Nonpareil variety, which represents 52 percent of the total, is forecast at     
160 million meat pounds, down 55 percent from last season.                      
                                                                                
The average nut set per tree is 3,792, down 54 percent from 1994.  The Nonpareil
average nut set, at 3,851 represents a 51 percent decrease from last year's set.
The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.91, up 17 percent from
last year.  A total of 95.4 percent of the nuts sampled were sound.             
                                                                                
Warm winter temperatures led to an early bloom period this year.  Heavy rain and
winds during the bloom period resulted in bloom loss and pollination problems.  
Tree conditions and nut sets vary within the orchards while nut sizes range from
normal to large.  Crop development is behind normal due to the cool, wet weather
in March.                                                                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
            Almonds:  Bearing Acreage, Yield and Utilized Production,           
                     California, 1993-94 and Forecasted 1995                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
                    :        Bearing Acreage     :     Yield per Acre           
        State       :---------------------------------------------------------  
                    :   1993  :  1994  :  1995   :  1993  :  1994  :  1995      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
                    :  --------- Acres ---------   -------- Pounds -------      
                    :                                                           
CA                  : 402,000  403,000  390,000    1,220    1,810      795      
                    :---------------------------------------------------------  
                    :                    Utilized Production                    
                    :---------------------------------------------------------  
                    :       1993       :       1994       :       1995          
                    :---------------------------------------------------------  
                    :                        1,000 Pounds                       
                    :                                                           
CA (Shelled basis)  :      490,000            730,000            310,000        
------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
For information call Linda McMillan at (202) 720-4215.  Office hours are        
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.                                                      
                                                                                
                                                                                
Fr Nt 7 (6-95)                                                                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
The next "Almond Production" report will be released in June 1996.              
                                                                                
                                                                                
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