More than 99% of walnuts produced in the United States are grown in the nutrient-rich earth of California's Central Valley. The California walnut sector comprises around 4,000 cultivators and roughly 75 handlers.
According to the USDA, as of September 2022, California had 400,000 bearing acres of English Walnuts with a total production of 720,000 tons.
Graph Provided by the USDA
The USDA just announced the purchase of 2,363,112 cases of walnuts for the 2023 fiscal year for distribution to child nutrition and other domestic food assistance programs. This amounts to $88,419,181.15 with a price range of $23.99 - $61.05.
Of that 2.63 million, the USDA purchased 134,136 cases from various counties in California with an average price of $40.56.
