Recovery of Spain’s almond crop despite drought and scorching temperatures
Spain’s almond production for the 2023 campaign is estimated at 120,633 tons, recovering from the record drop of last year’s weather-hit campaign. The estimate is 49% above the average of the last three years, but a new calculation methodology has been applied. This year, the productive area is 538,353 hectares, which represents an increase of 3.1% compared to last year. This increase is due to the entry into production of more than 16,000 hectares, mainly irrigated land in the regions of Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia, which have partially cushioned the negative impact of the current adverse weather episodes and the long period of drought that the main producing areas are suffering, with special incidence in dry plantations that have seen their productions reduced. Organic production area exceeds 100,000 hectares, representing almost 20% of the total area.
The president of the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers (Asaja) of Córdoba, Ignacio Fernández de Mesa, estimates almond production in the province of Córdoba will reach around 5,700 tons, the same as last year, with many almond trees once again affected by drought.
Quality will be better in the Guadalquivir Valley, where rain fell in May and June, making it easier for the skin to separate better from the shell. However, calibres sizes are not going to be large. Orchard area has increased throughout Andalusia, with 6,232 new hectares registered, of which 2,671 hectares are irrigated and 3,561 hectares are rain-fed with a regional production forecast of 33,135 tons.
