Respectable sales open 2025-26 season
By Tim Jackson, CEO, Almond Board of Australia
A strong start to the 2025-26 Australian almond selling season has been highlighted by improved volumes into manufacturing hubs Turkiye and Spain and continued demand from key markets China and India.
The dry harvest should result in a second successive year of high inshell production as the season unfolds. Although the opening month was 17% down on last year’s all conquering season, it still was the second largest March on record for Australian almost exports.
Domestic sales were on par with last year.
The uncertainty in the market that has been created by the trade war between USA and China has driven demand for Australian almonds. China remains the second biggest consumer of almonds in the world, but is still relying on Australia for the bulk of its supply given the exorbitant charges being imposed on Californian product.
Buyers and sellers are being advised to factor unforeseen changes in tariffs into sales contracts to ensure both parties clearly understand who is responsible for covering these costs.
The Almond Board of California has just announced 2.8 billion pounds as the US Department of Agriculture’s annual Subjective Estimate for the 2025 Californian crop. This figure is on the high side of expectations but should not cause any negative impact on market pricing, which remains at 10-year highs.