The primary objective of the California Almond Nursery Sales Survey, sent out by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to estimate future almond acres based on the number of almond trees sold for new plantings. This report summarizes data supplied by California nurseries throughout the State who sold to almond growers for commercial plantings. Results from this survey will be used to estimate the almond acres in California.
Since June 1, 2022, there were at least 4.02 million almond trees sold by California nurseries. Trees per acre of new plantings from 2019 to 2023 were used to calculate the average trees per acre of 130. This results in approximately 31,000 acres of almonds planted from June 2022 through May 2023. About 55% of the total trees sold (17,000 acres) were for new almond orchard acres and 35% (11,000 acres) replaced existing almond orchards. The remaining trees sold replaced trees within existing almond orchards.
Questionnaires were mailed to all known almond nurseries in California and responses were received from 6 out of 8 operations. The nurseries were asked to report the total number of almond trees sold for commercial plantings and the total number of the Nonpareil variety
sold. They were also asked to report the percent of trees sold for new almond orchards, for replanting an existing orchard, or to replace trees within an already existing almond orchard. The totals are only for those nurseries that reported. Acres planted were calculated using the
reported number of trees sold, along with the trees per acre from the Fruit and Nut Sampling Frame.
