Walnut crop arrives early in California

This year’s walnut crop will be slightly early, but will be of high quality, the Californian walnut industry says. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service California Field Office has predicted the annual yield will be 495,000 short tons.

“We enjoyed a warm, dry spring which will allow us to harvest up to a week earlier than the 2012 crop, and we are expecting good quality, plentiful walnuts for our customers around the world,” said California Walnut Commission (CWC) Chairman Donald Norene. The 2013 estimate is less than 1% shy of last year’s crop of 497,000 short tons.

Image: PR Newswire.

Walnut production has increased, with more than 11,000 acres of walnuts planted this year. The crop has nearly doubled in the last 10 years.

“Domestic market development and continued expansion of export markets will be critical to future production gains,” Norene added. “New emerging markets, such as India, will play a vital role in developing the industry’s future consumers.”

“Global demand for walnuts remains at an all-time high because consumer awareness of the versatility and nutritional benefits of walnuts continues to grow,” said Dennis A Balint, CWC CEO. “With over 100 published health research papers, people are increasingly aware of the many health benefits walnuts provide.

“As the fourth-leading export from the state of California, we estimate the value of walnuts may top $1.5 billion in farm gate revenue.”

In year-to-date shipments, the US accounted for 36% of shipments while 64% of the crop was exported to countries on five continents. Californian walnuts account for more than 99% of the commercial US supply and control roughly three-quarters of world trade.