USA • EastFruit https://east-fruit.ru/en/ Информация о рынке овощей, фруктов, ягод и орехов Восточной Европы и Центральной Азии Thu, 24 Feb 2022 09:06:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://east-fruit.ru/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cropped-Logosq-32x32.png USA • EastFruit https://east-fruit.ru/en/ 32 32 Uzbekistan: Avocado became affordable for consumers https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/uzbekistan-avocado-became-affordable-for-consumers/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/uzbekistan-avocado-became-affordable-for-consumers/#respond Thu, 24 Feb 2022 09:05:03 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=100630 The United States banned the imports of avocado from Mexico, and prices in the domestic market rose sharply, while in another part of the world, in Uzbekistan, avocado fell in price by 2 times. However, even before this ban, avocado prices in Uzbekistan decreased by about 25% due to another...

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The United States banned the imports of avocado from Mexico, and prices in the domestic market rose sharply, while in another part of the world, in Uzbekistan, avocado fell in price by 2 times. However, even before this ban, avocado prices in Uzbekistan decreased by about 25% due to another factor – the elimination of import customs duties.

EastFruit analysts explain that these factors have led to the fact that 3.5 months ago avocados, considered one of the most expensive fruits in Uzbekistan, have become much more affordable for many consumers in the country.

In the first ten days of October 2021, the government of Uzbekistan decided to exempt the import of a number of fruits, which included citrus fruits, exotic fruits, among them avocado, from customs duties. Prior to the decision, a customs duty rate of 10–20% but not less than $0.2/kg was applied, when importing these fruits. Of course, the decision by the government was very positive for consumers, as due to climatic conditions, Uzbekistan cannot grow the vast majority of fruits included in the list.

Note that avocados are sold in the supermarkets of Uzbekistan by piece.

As a result of the elimination of customs duties, retail prices for avocados in Uzbekistan decreased on average from 24 000 to 18 000 UZS/piece (from $2.2 to $1.66), i.e. by 25%, from the beginning of November to the end of December 2021. These are the best-selling green varieties of avocado in Uzbekistan and inexpensive on the global market.

In the early months of 2022, the global avocado market was rocked by an event that sent prices plummeting. The United States, the world’s largest importer of avocados, banned the import of avocados from Mexico, which in turn is the world’s largest exporter of avocados, as EastFruit wrote. The total value of avocado exports from Mexico to the US is estimated at about $3 billion, and the share of Mexico in total imports of avocados to the US is about 90%.

“Given already record high prices for avocados in the United States, as well as peak demand during this period of the year, the suspension of imports from the largest supplier country will undoubtedly lead to a shortage of avocados in the country’s supermarkets. In the context of a huge shortage of sea containers in the world, it will not be possible to quickly find a replacement for Mexico and arrange deliveries. After all, Mexico is a neighbor of the United States, and all other major suppliers of avocados in the world are considerably far from the United States. Even if the delivery can be organized, it will take a lot of time,” said Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

As a result, there was a huge surplus of Mexican avocados on the global avocado market and prices collapsed. In the USA, on the other hand, there was a shortage and prices rose sharply there.

Returning to Uzbekistan, from the beginning of January to mid-February 2022, retail prices for avocados decreased from 18 000 to 8 800 UZS/piece (from $1.66 to $0.81), i.e. 2 times. Moreover, according to EastFruit specialists, Hass avocados are sold at 8 800 UZS.

Thus, from the beginning of November 2021 to mid-February 2022, due to two factors – the elimination of import customs duties and the US ban on the import of Mexican avocados, retail avocado prices in Uzbekistan decreased from 24 000 to 8 800 UZS/piece, i.e. at least 2.7 times. In other words, in just 3.5 months, one of the most expensive fruits has become much more affordable for many consumers in the country.

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Chaos in the global avocado market – the US has stopped all imports from Mexico https://east-fruit.ru/en/trending/chaos-in-the-global-avocado-market-the-us-has-stopped-all-imports-from-mexico/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/trending/chaos-in-the-global-avocado-market-the-us-has-stopped-all-imports-from-mexico/#respond Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:01:39 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=100042 The US announced a total ban on avocado imports from Mexico after a US plant safety inspector checking avocados prepared for shipment to the US received threats on his official phone. According to EastFruit analysts, it will be almost impossible to replace Mexican avocados in the US market, since Mexico accounted for...

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The US announced a total ban on avocado imports from Mexico after a US plant safety inspector checking avocados prepared for shipment to the US received threats on his official phone.

According to EastFruit analysts, it will be almost impossible to replace Mexican avocados in the US market, since Mexico accounted for 92% of all US avocado imports in 2021. The import volume of avocados from Mexico to the United States increased by 8% in physical terms and by 25% in value terms over the year.

“Of course, this is a huge blow to the fruit and vegetable business in Mexico, for which avocados are the main export position, and the United States is the main market. For Mexico, exporting avocados to the US is a $3 billion business,” says Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

“Given current record high prices for avocados in the United States, as well as peak demand during this period of the year, the suspension of imports from the largest supplier country will undoubtedly lead to a shortage of avocados in the country’s supermarkets. In the context of a global shortage of sea containers, it will not be possible to quickly find a replacement for Mexico and arrange deliveries. After all, Mexico is a neighbor of the United States, and all other major global suppliers of avocados are far from the United States. Even the delivery itself, if it can be arranged, will take a lot of time. Therefore, most likely, in the near future the two countries will try to solve this problem,” adds Andriy Yarmak.

EastFruit analysts note that the US is by far the world’s largest importer of avocados. Mexico, by almost the same margin, is the world’s largest exporter. Therefore, the cessation of trade between the two largest global players in the avocado market is a severe shock for the global avocado market.

A market-wide halt in avocado imports from Mexico to the US was confirmed late on Saturday ahead of the Super Bowl in American football, the biggest selling opportunity of the year for Mexican avocado growers. In fact, there are no problems with the supply of avocados for the Cup, since these volumes have already been delivered to the USA.

American media reports that avocados have become the latest victim of drug cartels fighting for territory and extortion from avocado growers in the western state of Michoacán, the only state in Mexico fully authorized to export to the US market. The US government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados “until further notice” after a threatening message was received by a US quarantine inspector in Mexico, the Mexican Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

“The US health authorities … made the decision after one of their officials inspecting in Uruapan, Michoacán, received a threatening message on his official mobile phone,” the department wrote.

The import ban was introduced on the same day that the Mexican Avocado Growers and Packers Association unveiled the advertisement for this year’s Super Bowl. For almost a decade, Mexican exporters ran expensive ads trying to permanently associate the consumption of guacamole (a traditional avocado-based dish popular in Mexico and the US) with the American Football Super Bowl tradition.

This year’s Mexican avocado ad in the US features Julius Caesar and a group of gladiators in front of the Colosseum. They settle their apparent differences by enjoying guacamole and avocados.

Since avocados are also grown in the United States, US inspectors are working in Mexico to make sure exported avocados do not carry diseases that could harm US crops. It wasn’t until 1997 that the US lifted a ban on the Mexican avocado that had been in place since 1914 to prevent a number of weevils, scab and other pests from entering American farms. Inspectors work for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

This is not the first time that violence in Michoacán, where the Jalisco cartel is leading a turf war against a group of local gangs known as the United Cartels, has threatened avocados, the state’s most lucrative crop.

Following a previous incident in 2019, the USDA warned of the possible consequences of an attack or threat against US inspectors. In August 2019, a group of USDA inspectors came under a “direct threat” in Ziraquaretiro, a city west of Uruapan. Although the agency did not elaborate on what happened, local authorities say the gang robbed the truck carrying the inspectors at gunpoint.

At the time, the USDA wrote in a letter that “in future situations that result in a security breach or pose an imminent physical threat to the well-being of APHIS personnel, we will immediately suspend the program.”

Many avocado growers in Michoacán say drug gangs threaten them or their family members with kidnapping or death unless they pay protection money, sometimes as much as thousands of dollars per acre. On September 30, 2020, a Mexican APHIS employee was killed near the northern border city of Tijuana.

Mexican prosecutors said Edgar Flores Santos was killed by drug dealers who might have mistaken him for a police officer and a suspect was arrested. The US State Department said the investigation “concluded that this unfortunate incident was due to Mr. Flores being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

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India doubled apple imports in the 2020/21 season – analysis of the import structure by EastFruit https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/india-doubled-apple-imports-in-the-2020-21-season-analysis-of-the-import-structure-by-eastfruit/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/india-doubled-apple-imports-in-the-2020-21-season-analysis-of-the-import-structure-by-eastfruit/#respond Sat, 06 Nov 2021 05:30:35 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=91314 In the context of the global apple business crisis, EastFruit analysts pay special attention to the countries where the consumption of imported apples continues to grow. The largest increase in fresh apple imports in the 2020/21 season (August-July) was noted in India. The volume of apple exports to India during the season exceeded 400...

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In the context of the global apple business crisis, EastFruit analysts pay special attention to the countries where the consumption of imported apples continues to grow.

The largest increase in fresh apple imports in the 2020/21 season (August-July) was noted in India. The volume of apple exports to India during the season exceeded 400 thousand tonnes for the first time and reached 403.4 thousand tonnes, having doubled compared to the 2019/20 season. The previous record for apple imports to India was set in the 2016/17 season, when supplies exceeded 357 thousand tonnes.

Read also: Unexpected facts and typical misconceptions about the Indian apple market from EastFruit

Another feature of the 2020/21 season for India is that Iran has become the leader in terms of apple exports to India for the first time. Iran supplied 74.9 thousand tonnes of fresh apples, increasing exports to India threefold! Turkey became second in the rating of suppliers, slightly behind Iran with the volume of 67 thousand tonnes. We remind once again that we believe Turkey and Iran to be the main troublemakers in the global apple market, which we described in detail in the #freshapplecrisis article. You can watch a unique video about the struggle for global leadership among apple exporting countries via the link.

It is notable that the former long-term leader in apple supplies to India, the United States, continues to lose its position in this market. The United States fell to the eighth position in the ranking of exporters in the 2020/21 season, leaving ahead Iran, Turkey, Chile, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and even Afghanistan. By the way, all the top 10 apple supplying countries to India, except for the USA, have increased their export volumes. The United States continues to reduce its presence in the Indian apple market due to trade wars initiated by the administration of the previous president of the country.

Poland turned out to be outside the top 10 largest suppliers. The volumes of Polish apple exports to India continue to decline for the third season in a row, following a relative success in the 2018/19 season. Last season, Poland reduced its export volumes by 46% at once to 5.3 thousand tonnes. France and Belgium also reduced apple exports to India.

Noteworthy is the fact that Serbia began to supply apples to the Indian market for the first time. Moreover, deliveries reached 493 tonnes in the very first season, despite the lack of experience and the remoteness of the sales market.

The import of apples from Ukraine was also noted, although there is still no official permission for the supply of apples from Ukraine to India. However, the official statistics of India registered the supply of 82 tonnes of Ukrainian apples to its market.

Besides, unexpected is China becoming a supplier of apples to India. As you know, Chinese apples have not entered the Indian market since 2017. However, countries have resumed dialogue on re-establishing market access since 2019. It seems that the access has been renewed, although there have been no official reports on this matter. China supplied 119 tonnes of apples to India in the 2020/21 season, but there have been no new deliveries since May 2021. Therefore, perhaps these were trial deliveries to verify compliance with Indian requirements. The Indian government has taken a similar approach in the case of Ukraine.

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Ukrainian raspberries were exported to the United States and Canada for the first time! https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/ukrainian-raspberries-were-exported-to-the-united-states-and-canada-for-the-first-time/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/ukrainian-raspberries-were-exported-to-the-united-states-and-canada-for-the-first-time/#respond Mon, 11 Oct 2021 14:16:36 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=88783 According to EastFruit analysts, a milestone event took place in the berry business in Ukraine in 2021 – large volume of Ukrainian frozen raspberries was exported to the United States and Canada for the first time. Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA) clarified for us the details of this important deal – one batch of...

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According to EastFruit analysts, a milestone event took place in the berry business in Ukraine in 2021 – large volume of Ukrainian frozen raspberries was exported to the United States and Canada for the first time.

Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA) clarified for us the details of this important deal – one batch of raspberries was sent to Canada and one to the United States in the amount of one sea container. The logistics took around one and a half months, and the buyer was satisfied with the quality of the supplied products and is considering cooperation with Ukrainian suppliers on a regular basis.

The importance of this event for the development of production and freezing of berries in Ukraine is explained by the high level of requirements for product quality and logistics, which were successfully overcome by Ukrainian suppliers. Accordingly, the Ukrainian raspberry exporter has previously successfully passed the FDA (The United States Food and Drug Administration) certification.

The second important point of this event is that the United States and Canada traditionally pay higher prices for imported raspberries than other large importing countries, which creates good opportunities for Ukrainian exporters to invest in improving product quality. Naturally, the higher import price is due to the high-quality parameters of the products. The FDA returns products that do not meet their standards and safety requirements at the expense of the supplier and publishes full information about the issue, including the name of the exporting company. Therefore, it is crucial for the reputation of the exporting country and supplying company to comply with the requirements.

“The USA and Canada account for around 80% of all global imports of frozen raspberries in value terms and around 65% in physical terms. However, Ukraine has traditionally exported frozen raspberries mainly to Poland, which makes good money on re-exporting Ukrainian raspberries. Therefore, access to direct deliveries of frozen raspberries to countries with high import prices for raspberries is a very important step for the further development of the berry business in Ukraine. Indeed, Ukrainian berry freezers will be able to increase the technological level of processing and refinement of frozen raspberries and pay a higher price to suppliers, and they, in turn, will improve the quality of raw materials,” explains Andriy Yarmak, Economist at the Investment Centre, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

We have already written about how many millions of dollars Ukraine loses annually when exporting berries to Poland. Polish re-exporters of Ukrainian berries take this money. However, there has been a positive trend in the diversification of frozen raspberry exports from Ukraine in recent years. In particular, direct export shipments of Ukrainian raspberries to Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands have grown significantly. The USA and Canada joining the list of importing countries of frozen raspberries will allow to diversify exports even more, especially since Ukrainian producers are planning to significantly expand the area planted with raspberries this year. Read more about this in our article “Raspberry Boom 2“.

Thanks to this successful shipment, the UHA resumed negotiations with the members of the association to create a trading platform for cooperation in fresh and frozen vegetables, fruits and berries export and access to Ukrainian supermarket chains. If such plans are implemented, this could strengthen Ukraine’s position in export markets. However, until recently, Ukrainian exporters failed to come to an agreement.

Note that the US imports frozen raspberries mainly from Chile, Mexico and Serbia. At the same time, Serbia, the world’s largest exporter of frozen raspberries, was actively increasing the supply of its berries to the United States, considering this market one of its priorities. In 2020, Serbia exported more than 10 thousand tons of frozen raspberries to the United States for the first time and almost caught up with Mexico in terms of export volume. For comparison, Poland exported only 281 tons of raspberries to the United States in 2020. The dynamics of the export of Polish frozen raspberries to the United States has remained negative for several years in a row – in 2018, Poland exported more than 400 tons of raspberries to the United States.

Canada imports frozen raspberries from Chile, Serbia, USA and Mexico. Serbia is also increasing its exports to Canada and in 2020 delivered a record volume of frozen raspberries – 6.8 thousand tons. Poland supplies Canada with approximately the same volume of frozen raspberries as the United States.

Accordingly, for Ukraine, which is one of the five largest global exporters of frozen raspberries, it is essential to gain a foothold in these two most important markets. This is especially important given the expected growth in the production of all berries in 2022-2024. It remains to be hoped that not only the volume, but also the quality of the berries produced will grow.

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Walnut harvesting in Ukraine begins with satisfactory prices for growers https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/walnut-harvesting-in-ukraine-begins-with-satisfactory-prices-for-growers/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/walnut-harvesting-in-ukraine-begins-with-satisfactory-prices-for-growers/#respond Fri, 03 Sep 2021 14:05:16 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=85708 According to EastFruit analysts, harvesting of early walnut varieties hasstarted in Ukraine. So far, the offered volumes of the new harvest are not large. There is also an issue with walnuts having to be dried, as there were a lot of rains in different regions of Ukraine in recent days. Nevertheless, there is also a...

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According to EastFruit analysts, harvesting of early walnut varieties hasstarted in Ukraine. So far, the offered volumes of the new harvest are not large. There is also an issue with walnuts having to be dried, as there were a lot of rains in different regions of Ukraine in recent days.

Nevertheless, there is also a positive factor – wholesale prices for in-shell walnuts and walnut kernels are still significantly higher than a year earlier. On average, producers can get 30-33% more for high-quality walnut kernels than at the same time last year and almost 70% more than in 2019 at the very beginning of the season.

It should be noted that prices are now formed mainly from what is left from 2020. while the 2021 peak harvesting is somewhat late. Nevertheless, market participants cannot forecast at this time whether prices will remain at a high level. They hope the US walnut factor will not have a negative impact on the market this year, since weather has been very unfavorable in California this year, and the harvest is estimated to be significantly lower than last year.

Read also: The forecast of the walnut harvest in Moldova has been increased, but it will still be relatively low

Nevertheless, the walnut harvest in Ukraine is likely to continue to increase, creating a need for increased exports. Market participants have no hopes for the growth of the domestic walnut market.

Meanwhile, in the 2020/21 season, Ukraine reduced the exports of walnuts by 20% compared to the 2019/20 season, primarily due to a decrease in global prices. Incidentally, this was the lowest export earnings from walnuts in the last four seasons. At the same time, the exports geography has changed dramatically – Turkey was only fourth in the ranking of the largest importers, while the EU countries began to buy more Ukrainian walnuts, given the low price.

Moldova, Ukraine’s main competitor in the region’s walnut market, also expects the walnut harvest to increase in 2021, although market participants believe that the harvest will be below the average for the last five years. France, another major European player, is expecting a decline in the walnut harvest. Therefore, the positive factors are numerous, and the cautious optimism of the walnut market participants is justified.

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Uzbek melons were exported to the US for the first time https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/uzbek-melons-were-exported-to-the-us-for-the-first-time/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/uzbek-melons-were-exported-to-the-us-for-the-first-time/#respond Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:00:24 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=83491 EastFruit experts note that a new country located far from Uzbekistan joined the countries importing Uzbek melons – the United States. The Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the United States and Canada announced the arrival of first Torpedo melons from Uzbekistan to the United States on their Facebook page. In the past...

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EastFruit experts note that a new country located far from Uzbekistan joined the countries importing Uzbek melons – the United States.

The Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the United States and Canada announced the arrival of first Torpedo melons from Uzbekistan to the United States on their Facebook page.

In the past few years, the geography of Uzbek melon exports has expanded significantly. According to EastFruit experts, until 2018, Uzbekistan exported melons to no more than 11 countries, excluding export volumes of less than 18 tons. In 2019, the number of countries that imported melons of at least 18 tons from Uzbekistan increased to 14, and in 2020 – to 17. The volume supplied to the US market is not reported. Apparently, this will become known at the end of the 2021 season.

In the third decade of June, EastFruit wrote about the start of the exports of melons from Uzbekistan. At that time, this was evidenced by two factors – a decrease in wholesale prices in the domestic market by 10 times from the end of May to 17 June and a noticeable intensification of export of melons.

Currently, the exports of Uzbek melons is in active phase, facilitated by low wholesale prices in the domestic market of Uzbekistan. As of July 29, 2021, Uzbekistan has the lowest wholesale prices among countries where EastFruit monitors them for more than 60 types of fruit and vegetable products weekly. According to participants in the logistics services market, melon ranks first in numbers of requests for vehicles for fruit and vegetable exports from Uzbekistan.

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How can Georgia build a successful almond industry – US expert https://east-fruit.ru/en/horticultural-business/interviews/how-georgia-can-build-a-successful-almond-industry-us-expert/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/horticultural-business/interviews/how-georgia-can-build-a-successful-almond-industry-us-expert/#respond Tue, 20 Jul 2021 05:49:08 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=81942 In the beginning of July 2021 Super Almond with the support of the USAID Agriculture Programme has organized a weeklong training for Georgian almond growers. Dr. Gurreet Brar – Super Almond expert and a professor at the California State University, Fresno – has led the training and the field demonstrations...

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In the beginning of July 2021 Super Almond with the support of the USAID Agriculture Programme has organized a weeklong training for Georgian almond growers. Dr. Gurreet Brar – Super Almond expert and a professor at the California State University, Fresno – has led the training and the field demonstrations in almond orchards in Eastern Georgia. Dr. Brar has shared his impressions and views on the developing Georgian nuts industry exclusively for EastFruit.

Dr Brar in the super-high density (SHD) almond orchard in Gardabani, Georgia

EF: Dr. Brar, being the first time to Georgia, what are your first impressions about the nuts sector here?

GB: Georgian nuts industry is in infant stage now. There are about 5000 ha of almond orchards, however, all established with the experimental approach, as decision on varieties and planting systems were made mostly relying on advice of inputs suppliers and experiences of other countries, which may have climate or soil conditions different from Georgia.

EF: what planting system would you recommend to Georgian growers – innovation of Spanish agronomists, high-density, or traditional?

GB: it depends on goals and conditions of each project, as there are lots of moving parts we must consider. Generally, increased density of trees per ha decreases time for a tree to fill its space and reach full production. As a result, high-density trees begin to produce and bring money earlier. However, increase of density requires higher initial investments per ha. Mechanization in pruning and off-the ground harvest are the biggest advantage of super-high density (SHD) system, as it helps to keep the quality and reduces risk of nuts contamination with aflatoxins. But since nuts are picked from trees, they will require additional drying. On the other hand, yield is a function of total canopy volume and light interception. Since total canopy volume in SHD system is lower than in open-center/traditional, open-center system has demonstrated better in-shell yields per tree. Currently, in the CSU Fresno we are making trials to define specifics of the SHD system, which we believe has a potential. Traditional system is still valid and equally good, as farmers who plan to have low cost, low inputs and keep small-scale operation will still benefit from it.

Training in Tbilisi

EF: what are the trends in almond varieties development currently?

GB: There is obviously a trend towards self-pollinated varieties. I would recommend Georgian growers to use late-flowering varieties to avoid spring frosts. Non-Parel is still the most popular cultivar in California, meaning in the whole almond industry, however, there are new high-producing breeds coming on the market. Some recent releases from private nurseries, from USDA and the UC breeding programs have been introduced. But they all are still early blooming in comparison with Mediterranean cultivars. There are a lot of different variety and rootstock selections that fit different processing and production needs. First, we need to focus on doing adaptive trials with various US and European varieties in Georgia. Then we will have a choice based on the intended processing and marketing need, for example whether you want to sell a hard-shell nut in-shell or sell for culinary uses etc. The choice of production system can then be based on the bearing habit and vigour of rootstock-variety combination.

Overall, when choosing the variety, you need to consider (a) blooming period to avoid wind and late frosts, (b) harvest period – to match mechanization needs and utilize market opportunities, (c) growth habit (d) soil borne issues to be considered when selecting the rootstock and (e) vigour – to efficiently use the space between trees and the rows. All these factors are important. For example, you cannot plant a vigorous variety with spreading growth habit in a super high-density design. For that reason we need a lot of data, Georgia-specific data on many cultivars and rootstocks under these climatic conditions. If we manage to generate data, we can bet on the success of the industry.

EF: what is your view on the Georgian almond sector development?

Growers must think through each step when planning investment, as it will last for the next 20-25 years. Decisions should be made based on knowledge and trials results, not emotions. To make the industry commercially oriented, it requires introducing key elements to it:

First, the industry should be built on the natural potential, which is stored in high-quality genetic material and rootstocks. Virus-free planting material should guarantee sustainable nuts production. New genetics introduction should be supported by adaptive trials by qualified professionals in the country. In the countries, where extension service has limited capacity, involving private sector through private-public partnership for testing new fruits varieties has demonstrated quick results. Super Almond is working to provide the US knowledge and experience in the nuts sector of Central Asia and Caucasus region.  We are also suppliers of quality genetic materials for propagation for nurseries. I believe this system will work well in Georgia in cooperation with the Scientific research center.

Georgian growers are thirsty for knowledge. If they have a possibility to use study materials of the University of California available online, there is gap of the applied practice, which we were trying to spot and fill in during this visit. Thus, I see the potential for cooperative extension system, which should be industry-funded. The system should be built on local advisors/agronomists, who will be close to growers, consulting them on daily basis, like a family doctor; and senior advisors– both local and international – who will provide guidance on very specific directions, like a cardiologist or a virologist. To make this system fully operational and show results from decisions made based on knowledge, 3-4 years of work are needed. The sooner we start, the better it will be for the industry. Currently, we seek support of donors for this exciting project, because all activities are not sustainable without extension system. As a scientist, I see great learning possibilities for the US students in Georgia, thus in the nearest future we will organize knowledge exchange activities for American students from the University Fresno to Georgia to support research as part of our extension program. During my visit I have met and interacted with a number of young, energetic agronomists who are passionate about getting knowledge and applying it, which is encouraging. We need to channelize that spirit and provide guidance.

The third pillar is of course, sales. Free trade agreements between Georgia and EU, China, Commonwealth of Independent States and Turkey would help. However, considering high competition on the market, processing infrastructure is absolutely crucial for delivering high-quality product. As in other nuts, aflatoxins are an issue in almonds and it ties back to good management practices. Therefore, we consider further capacity building within Super Almond programme.

In California water is a serious problem: both availability and quality. With the recent drought, many older almond orchards are being removed and those will likely not be replaced by almond orchards. Farmers are moving towards more drought and salt tolerant crops like pistachios. In my opinion, the bearing almond acreage in California will be reaching a plateau. With the increasing demand of various almond products worldwide, the almond industry is expanding to Europe, Australia and South America. We in California still contribute a huge share to world almond production and produce great quality kernels, but places like Georgia have great potential to produce to meet increasing demand.

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Almond orchards are removed due to lack of water in the US – what does this mean for the global nut market? https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/almond-orchards-are-removed-due-to-lack-of-water-in-the-us-what-does-this-mean-for-the-global-nut-market/ https://east-fruit.ru/en/news/almond-orchards-are-removed-due-to-lack-of-water-in-the-us-what-does-this-mean-for-the-global-nut-market/#respond Wed, 14 Jul 2021 14:34:09 +0000 https://east-fruit.ru/?p=81487 EastFruit analysts draw attention to the most important event in the global nut business – a sharp change in expectations regarding the almond harvest in the United States. The state of California in the USA is a recognized world leader in almonds, which provides almost 80% of the world supply...

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EastFruit analysts draw attention to the most important event in the global nut business – a sharp change in expectations regarding the almond harvest in the United States.

The state of California in the USA is a recognized world leader in almonds, which provides almost 80% of the world supply of almonds and they are distinguished by high quality nut parameters. The industry had fairly positive expectations for a 20/21 almond harvest in California, which implied an even higher yield (+ 3%) than the record 2020/21.

But on Monday, the Almond Growers Council published an objective measurement report, stating that almond production in the United States will decrease by 10% compared to last year and will amount to 1.27 million tons (kernel). These changes were mainly due to a decrease in yields by 18% compared to the previous season, which is associated with an acute shortage of water in California. The report was prepared on the basis of a sample of representative field surveys from May 26 to June 30, and the sample included 1,828 trees on 914 farms.

The full version of the report in English is available here.

May 2021 was the driest in 127 years, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System maintained by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. California, producing more than a third of the vegetables and two-thirds of the fruits of the United States, suffers the most. High temperature and California’s second-in-a-row dry winter have caused more than 85% of the state’s land being in “extreme” and “exceptional” drought. The latter covers more than a third of the state’s territory and is characterized by loss of crops, pasture land, water scarcity in reservoirs, streams and wells, creating emergencies.

A Central Valley farmer removed 600 acres (242 ha) of almond orchards and is now planning to replace almonds with a crop that requires less water.Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)

Amid claims by the federal government to cut water supplies to cities in the state, as well as to stop water supply to farms, some farmers are abandoning water-sensitive crops and uprooting entire farms. Basically, these are almond orchards that have reached maturity, or which are characterized by low efficiency. Although new plantations are entering fruiting, after 2016, the rate of planting new almond orcjards in California decreased by an average of 2 thousand hectares per year, and in the last 3 years the rate of planting has decreased by half. There is no updated data on fruiting almond plantations yet.

The announced drop in almond production in California this season will undoubtedly spur prices. Last season the prices for almonds fell to almost USD 4 per kg as a result of the rapid growth (+ 22%) of almond production in the United States.

At the same time, the demand for high-quality almonds may increase in the EU, which accounts for about a quarter of California’s exports. According to Unión de Uniones, almond production in Spain, where the United States exports about 10% of almonds annually, will decrease by 20% compared to the 2020 due to unfavorable weather conditions in the spring, as well as lower quality and phytosanitary problems of the past season. It is worth noting that the main decline in production is expected in the rainfed lands of Castile-La Mancha, Aragon, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia.

This creates favorable conditions for newcomers to the almond business – Georgia and Azerbaijan – to enter the world market, provided they offer quality products.

You can watch how almonds are grown and harvested in California and learn about the almond business here.

 

 

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