Almond hulls were recently given Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status by the FDA. This designation opens the door for them to be used in a variety of different food products, as they are high in fiber and phytonutrients. Almond Board of California CEO and President Clarice Turner spoke with Matthew Malcolm at California Ag Network to discuss this recent breakthrough and what it means for the almond industry. Watch this quick video and learn more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Tag: Almond Board of California
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Almond Board of California Looks to Improve India Marketing Strategy
India remains the most important export market for California almonds, making it central to the industry’s long-term outlook. After reviewing how the market is changing, the Almond Board of California (ABC) concluded that past approaches alone will not be enough to fuel future growth. To meet long-term demand goals, the industry must reposition almonds for a new generation of Indian consumers.
A High-Value Market with More Room to Grow
India already has a strong almond consumption base. Almonds are widely recognized, associated with nutrition and consumed by more than half of households in some form.
But that strength does not mean the market is saturated. Consumption varies sharply by region, with lower penetration in parts of the country, especially in the South. That gap points to opportunity. Future growth will come from reaching new consumers, new regions and new occasions.
For growers, expanding total demand matters because broader consumption helps support long-term market stability and value.
Identifying the Barriers to Continued Growth
ABC research shows that almonds still hold a strong position in India, but perception challenges are beginning to limit growth. Among non-users and light users, three barriers stood out: low excitement, weak differentiation and limited understanding of why almonds deserve a place in everyday diets.
Many consumers see almonds as dependable but somewhat dated. Some view them as interchangeable with other nuts, while others are unclear on how almonds fit into modern daily routines, especially in newer markets.
That makes this a critical moment. A product that is widely known can still lose relevance with younger consumers if the industry does not actively refresh how it is positioned.
A Rapidly Changing Consumer Landscape
India’s consumer landscape is evolving. It is home to a young population, rising digital engagement and increasingly urban lifestyles that are reshaping how people discover and buy food.
Younger consumers are influenced by health goals, personal ambition and digital culture. They are less responsive to traditional messages and more drawn to brands that feel modern, useful and relevant to everyday life.
For almonds, that creates both risk and opportunity. Legacy messaging is losing strength, but a large, increasingly affluent population still offers major growth potential if almonds are positioned in a way that resonates now. — Story contributed by the Almond Board of California
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Almond Hulls Get Gras Status
For decades, almond hulls have had a specific job — to be a low-cost animal feed ingredient. But a recent milestone could open the door to a different future for this familiar byproduct. Based on an extensive evaluation, almond hull powder (AHP) has been confirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use in human food, following a review by an independent expert panel.
That may sound technical, but for almond growers, this decision has the potential to reshape the conversation around almond hull value.
First, What Does ‘GRAS’ Actually Mean?
In plain terms, GRAS status means that qualified experts agree that a food ingredient is safe for people to eat, based on scientific evidence and a long list of safety data. It’s a designation recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is a key factor for any ingredient that wants to enter the human food supply.
In this case, an independent expert panel reviewed a comprehensive dossier, more than 180 pages, covering how Almond Hull Powder is made, safety for human consumption, how much people might eat and what happens when they do. The panel concluded that AHP is safe for its intended uses in food. The dossier and expert panel findings are finalized and submitted to the FDA.
Why Almond Hulls?
Almond hulls make up a significant share of the almond fruit by weight, yet historically they’ve delivered modest returns to growers. Most hulls end up in livestock rations, where they’re valued for fiber and energy, but prices can be volatile and demand is tied closely to dairy and feed markets.
GRAS status changes the playing field by allowing almond hulls, when processed into Almond Hull Powder, to be used in human food products. According to the expert panel review, AHP can be used in a wide range of foods, including baked goods, cereals, beverages, bars and nutritional products. That doesn’t mean hulls suddenly replace almonds on the grocery shelf. But it does mean there is a pathway where hulls can move beyond feed and into higher-value food ingredient markets.
What This Could Mean for the Hull Market
GRAS status doesn’t instantly create new demand, but it removes a major barrier. The expert review means food companies can now seriously explore AHP as an ingredient without having to clear safety hurdles themselves. That opens the door to:
- New markets beyond traditional feed channels
- Higher-value applications tied to human nutrition and functional foods
- More diversified demand, reducing reliance on any single end use
The announcement also points to the next steps already underway, including finalizing processing parameters and external engagement with food manufacturers and partners.
For growers, this matters because diversified demand is often the first step toward improved and more stable byproduct economics.
The Bottom Line for Growers
Almond Hull Powder earning GRAS status doesn’t change the hull market overnight. But it does something just as important; it expands what’s possible.
By clearing the scientific and regulatory considerations for human food use, almond hulls move from being only a feed ingredient to becoming a potential food ingredient as well. Over time, that shift could translate into new demand streams, new partnerships, and a stronger value proposition for growers.
For an industry always looking to make the most of every pound —Story contributed by the Almond Board of California
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USDA Releases 2026 Almond Harvest Forecast
The 2026 California Almond Forecast, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), estimates that the crop harvested in 2026 will come in at 2.7 billion pounds, down 1% from the previous year. Forecasted yield is 1,940 pounds per acre, unchanged from the previous season.
“According to the polled growers, the industry is expecting a modestly smaller crop in 2026 compared to last year. This is an early estimate, and we will see how the crop progresses over the coming months,” said Almond Board of California (ABC) President and CEO, Clarice Turner. “While this may signal tighter supply, California remains the world’s leading almond supplier, and ABC is focused on expanding global demand. Despite higher costs, regulatory pressures, and supply chain challenges, California almond farmers continue to deliver a reliable, high-quality crop.”
As of December 2025, the ABC Board of Directors voted to cease funding for the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Objective Measurement Report, making a change in California almond crop estimates going forward.
This Subjective Forecast will be the only report from NASS for the coming crop year. The estimate is based on opinions from a survey of around 500 growers conducted from April 21 to May 6. The sample of growers was selected at random and were grouped by size of operation to ensure all growers were proportionally represented. Respondents had the option to report their data by mail, phone or online.
This Subjective Forecast comes two weeks after Land IQ’s 2026 Standing Acreage Initial Estimate found that bearing almond acreage in California decreased by 15,227 acres from the previous year to 1,385,870 million bearing acres.
NASS conducts the annual Subjective Forecast to provide the California almond industry with the data needed to make informed business decisions.
— Story Contributed by the Almond Board of California
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Artefact, ABC Partner to Turn Shells into Bio-Based Materials
Materials and manufacturing company Artefact and the Almond Board of California announced the launch of California almond shell composite materials for use in consumer and home products, as well as building and vehicle interiors. This partnership aims to support the reshoring of clean manufacturing with U.S. sourced regenerative materials. Demand has been fueled by new design possibilities for product brands and new choices for consumers with unique new products.
With California producing nearly 80% of the world’s almonds, the state’s almond industry represents one of the nation’s most reliable agricultural supply chains. Artefact’s technology transforms the shells leftover after almond processing into engineered materials. Historically, almond shells have been used for livestock bedding. This new technology offers the almond industry a path to higher value uses while providing manufacturers and consumer brands access alternatives to petroleum‑based plastics.
“California is a global leader in both agriculture and product innovation. Finding meaningful, environmentally friendly uses for our almond co-products is part of ensuring that nothing in the orchard goes to waste,” said Natalie Henderson, Director of Global Communications at the Almond Board of California. “This work builds on a historic portfolio of almond board research focused on creating value for our industry and the surrounding communities.”
Establishing the First Pilot Production Facility
Artefact is also working with growers and processors to locate a pilot production facility in California’s Central Valley. This facility is intended to reduce logistics costs, minimize environmental impact, and embed manufacturing directly within the rural agricultural region.
Artefact Cofounder and CEO, Ethan Escowitz, comments, “We envision a future where sustainability is not a product compromise, but a catalyst for creativity in product design. A future in which regenerative materials become the new standard that reestablishes manufacturing on U.S. soil with materials grown on U.S. soil. California is the global leader in almonds, both in production volume and processing technology, making California almond shells the ideal material to enable a major shift in this direction.” — Story Contributed by Almond Board of California
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2026 USDA-NASS Subjective Forecast Format Changes
When USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA‑NASS) releases the annual California Almond Subjective Forecast on May 12, growers may notice the report doesn’t look exactly like it has in the past. The difference is tied to a broader USDA‑NASS publication change — not to any change requested or directed by the Almond Board of California (ABC).
For decades, growers, handlers, and other stakeholders have used the Subjective Forecast as a consistent early-season reference point. Because many people know where to look for key figures and comparisons, even small shifts in layout can slow down that first read. While the report’s presentation may change, the industry’s need is the same: quickly locating the data points that support planning and market conversations.
Last year, USDA‑NASS has released a statement saying: “NASS will no longer generate publications tailored specifically to individual states or regions. There is no impact on state-level data as it will continue to be available in the national releases and through NASS’s public online database, Quick Stats. All NASS reports are available to the public at www.nass.usda.gov.”
For almonds, that means the Subjective Forecast may be packaged differently than the California-specific publication many are used to, however the survey methodology remains unchanged, and the California data will still exist within national releases and in Quick Stats.
To make the updated format easier to navigate, ABC will provide a brief cover letter when sharing the Subjective Forecast. The cover letter will act as a reader’s guide to point to where commonly referenced items appear and help industry members locate the information they are accustomed to seeing in the Subjective Forecast.
As an additional reminder, the Subjective Forecast will be the only yield-related report released by USDA this year. In December of 2025, ABC’s Board of Directors voted to cease funding for the USDA‑NASS Objective Estimate that has typically been released in early July.
ABC will share the Subjective Forecast as soon as it is released on May 12 and include the cover letter to help industry members orient quickly. If you have questions once the report is available, please contact ABC staff.
— Story contributed by Almond Board of California
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Almond Board Works to Expand C and U Access
When growers think about foodservice demand, restaurants and packaged foods often come to mind. But another foodservice segment is quietly shaping ingredient use, consumer preferences and long‑term demand: College and University (C and U) foodservice.
C and U refers to on‑campus dining programs at colleges and universities. These programs feed students, faculty and staff every day across multiple venues and meals. Collectively, C and U foodservice represents an estimated $18 billion industry nationwide, with thousands of campuses and significant purchasing power. For almonds, it is a segment where scale and influence intersect.
College campuses serve food continuously. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are offered seven days a week. Some campuses prepare tens of thousands of meals daily across dining halls, cafés, food trucks and catering operations. Even small ingredient decisions, when multiplied across millions of meals each year, can add up quickly.
That scale is why the Almond Board of California engages with campus dining not only to encourage menu inclusion, but to help make almonds visible, desirable and repeatedly chosen by students. When almonds show up in everyday meals and beverages, they can influence preferences, normalize new uses beyond snacking and ultimately build long term demand.
“College dining today looks very different than it did a generation ago,” the Almond Board of California recently wrote. “Many universities now operate chef‑driven programs that emphasize scratch cooking, global flavors and ingredient transparency. On some campuses, dining experiences rival what is found in major cities.”
The Almond Board works with campus dining leaders, executive chefs and purchasers — especially at universities that manage their own dining programs — to make it easier to feature almonds in ways that are more appealing to students.
“C and U foodservice represents a long-term investment in almond demand because it combines large-scale meal volume with an unusually strong ability to shape consumer choices,” the Almond Board wrote. “Campus dining teams influence what students try repeatedly, and those experiences can carry forward into habits and purchases after graduation.”
For growers, this work may help keep almonds top-of-mind as these student-consumers navigate more choices and more competing ingredients.
— Story contributed by the Almond Board of California
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Bearing Almond Acreage Drops for First Time in Decades
California’s bearing almond acreage decreased over the past year — the first drop in 30 years — according to Land IQ’s 2026 Standing Acreage Initial Estimate as bearing acreage stabilizes.
Initial 2026 bearing acreage is estimated at 1,385,870 acres, compared to the 2025 Land IQ Standing Acreage Final Estimate of 1,401,097 million bearing acres. This reflects a decrease of 15,227 bearing acres over the past year.
Land IQ’s recent Initial Estimate does not include total almond acreage. It looked at bearing acreage, specifically orchards planted before 2024 that have matured enough to produce a crop for the coming 2026 harvest. Land IQ’s final report on total acreage and non-bearing acres — including newer plantings not mature enough to produce almonds for commercial consumption — will come out in November.
In addition, Land IQ estimated 47,588 acres of orchard removals, adding to the nearly 49,197 acres removed in the 2024-25 crop year.
The drop in bearing acres is due to orchard removals and a slowdown in new plantings. This comes on the heels of Land IQ’s report in 2025 that found that California’s total almond acreage had dropped four years in a row to 1.52 million acres.
“While we’re seeing stabilization in bearing acreage, global demand remains strong and is the foundation of our industry,” said ABC President and CEO Clarice Turner. “Continued, strategic investment in market development is essential to supporting long-term growth and to position California almonds for the future.”
The Land IQ report is a snapshot of the coming 2026 harvest but does not offer an estimate on the actual almond production for the 2026-27 crop year. A production estimate will be released on May 12 with USDA-NASS’ Subjective Estimate. As of December 2025, the Almond Board of California Board of Directors voted to cease funding for the July USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Objective Measurement Report, making a change in California almond crop estimates going forward.
Land IQ’s final acreage estimate in November of 2026 will cover total acres, bearing acreage, non-bearing acreage and potentially abandoned acres and removals from Sept. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026. Please note that the almond crop year runs Aug. 1-July 31, so this estimate includes the harvest for the 2026-27 crop year.
Land IQ’s Initial Estimate and its Final Acreage Estimate in November are commissioned by the Almond Board of California to provide statistical transparency and a robust picture of California almonds to industry stakeholders around the world. In 2018, ABC first commissioned Land IQ, a Sacramento-based agricultural and environmental scientific research and consulting firm, to develop a comprehensive, living map of California almonds, with the first report issued in 2019. The map is the result of more than a decade of research
— Story Contributed by the Almond Board of California
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Almond Board of California Releases Market Update
The Almond Board of California released its March position report on April 10, showing that industry shipments totaled 258 million pounds. Blue Diamond Growers notes that this is an increase of 16.5% year over year, surpassing expectations. March exports were up 21% compared to last year at 2025.2 million pounds. Export shipments are surpassing last yers pace, leading by 3% at 1.38 billion pounds and domestic shipments for March came in at 1.9% ahead from last year.
“While domestic year-to-date shipments remain behind at 391 million pounds, down 15.9%, the increase this month is worth celebrating after months of softer results. Total industry shipments through March stand at 1.78 billion pounds, down 1.9% versus last year,” Blue Diamond Growers wrote in its March Almond Market Update. “The California almond industry has shown resilience and strong performance despite logistical delays associated with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. With concern around Australian crop quality due to late season rainfall, we may see additional opportunities for California almonds ahead.”
The March shipment performance confirmed an effectively functioning market, with global demand continuing to absorb supply. Export markets remain the primary driver, supported by consistent movement into Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, despite recent disruptions. This includes 39.2 million pounds shipped to India. China/Hong Kong, also saw a 123% increase to 4.1 million pounds following last year’s tariffs. Shipments to Vietnam were at 5.6 million pounds, an 8.5% increase.
The Middle East remains difficult, with reduced activity in the United Arab Emirates, but Turkey has seen an increase of 30% and Pakistan has seen an increase of 170%, indicating that demand is being redistributed rather than eroded.
“The conflict in Iran has been a concerning factor for the industry for over a month. The March report serves as proof that demand across the Middle East remains intact as the region took 21.9 million pounds for the month. The current geopolitical conditions have introduced disruptions and logistical challenges to traditional trade flows in the Persian Gulf,” the Blue Diamond update read. “Saudi Arabia is also expected to act as an alternative routing option to supply regional buyers. The region remains a key demand center with creative execution strategies, and the normalization of logistics is expected to support future activity.”
The market in Europe remains steady, with year-to-date shipments tracking ahead of 2025 by 7%.
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New Tool to Help Growers with Nutrient Plans
As input costs continue to rise and regulatory pressure around nutrient management intensifies, almond growers are looking for tools that help them apply fertilizers more precisely — without sacrificing yield or tree health. A new Nitrogen and Potassium Calculator, developed through a partnership between the Almond Board of California and UC Davis’ Fruit and Nut Center, is designed to do exactly that.
Hosted by the Fruit and Nut Center and available through Almonds.org, the calculator helps growers estimate how much nitrogen and potassium to apply, and when to apply it, based on orchard-specific information and expected yield. The goal is straightforward: improve nutrient use efficiency, reduce unnecessary applications, and limit money spent on product the crop doesn’t need.
Built on Efficiency and Economics
Nitrogen and potassium are among the largest input costs in almond production, accounting for a significant share of annual expenses. They are also essential to kernel development and protein formation, making precise management critical.
“Kernels are full of protein,” said Sebastian Saa, Associate Director of Agricultural Research at the Almond Board of California. “That also means that they demand a significant amount of nitrogen.”
But applying more fertilizer than necessary doesn’t improve outcomes. Instead, it can reduce efficiency, increase costs, and create additional challenges. “If you have too much nitrogen, it could leach into groundwater aquifers” Saa said, “but you are also making your trees more susceptible to diseases like hull rot.”
The new calculator is designed to help growers avoid both sides of the problem, deficiency and excess, by matching nutrient applications more closely to actual crop demand.
From Research to a Practical Tool
The calculator reflects more than a decade of almond production research and builds on guidance already familiar to many growers, including the Almond Board’s Nitrogen Management Guide. “We have been working on this topic for about 20 years,” Saa explained. “This calculator reflects the latest of our thinking and includes potassium calculations, which we had not done before.”
Rather than requiring users to answer every possible question up front, the calculator uses a stepwise process. Growers can enter basic information, such as orchard age and expected yield, to generate a preseason nutrient plan. As the season progresses and more data becomes available, the same plan can be revisited and refined.
Yield plays a central role in the calculation, but the tool also accounts for nutrient contributions from other sources, such as irrigation water or organic amendments, helping growers avoid double-counting nutrients they already have. “How much to apply doesn’t only depend on yield,” Saa noted. “If you use soil amendments, some of those amendments contain nitrogen and thus reduce the need for fertilizer. All this is included in the calculator.”
Adjust as the Season Unfolds
As previously mentioned, one of the key advantages of the new calculator is its ability to adapt as the season progresses. Growers can save a unique link to their initial plan, return mid-season (end of April/beginning of May), and update inputs as yield estimates improve or new information, such as leaf tissue analysis, becomes available. “This allows the user to fine tune their former fertilization budget even further,” Saa noted.
The calculator is hosted by UC Davis’ Fruit and Nut Center, which already supports a range of decision-support tools used by California growers. Growers can access the calculator directly through the Fruit and Nut Center website or by visiting the Grower Tools page on Almonds.org, where tools can be filtered by focus area, resource type, or host organization.
Getting Nutrient Management Right
Ultimately, the calculator is about helping growers make confident, informed decisions — balancing productivity, environmental stewardship, and cost control.
“Getting it right is fundamental,” Saa said. “From an economic point of view, from an environmental point of view, and from an efficiency and productivity point of view.”
With the new Nitrogen and Potassium Calculator, growers now have a practical, research-based tool to help do just that. “The sooner you make your fertilization plan, like at the beginning of the season, the higher the ROI is going to be,” Saa said.
— By the Almond Board of California