Land IQ
In 2026, the Almond Board of Australia( ABA) renewed its partnership with global agricultural spatial analysis leader Land IQ to independently verify Austrralia’ s almond footprint. Building on the foundational 2023 baseline, the latest data reveals a significant industry expansion, with total plantings growing from 62,428 hectares in 2023 to 70,967 hectares in 2026. This expansion is non-uniform across regions, showing distinct investment shifts and growth surges in the Riverina, Riverland, and Goulburn Valley. By delivering a spatially derived dataset with a 99 % accuracy rate, this independent mapping complements the ABA’ s annual grower surveys. It minimizes underreporting risks, confirms precise orchard boundaries, and provides robust statistics to improve long-term industry forecasting and planning.
To achieve this level of precision, Land IQ combines advanced remote sensing with localized field verification, known as ground truthing. The technical process begins by analysing multi-spectral satellite and aerial imagery, using computer algorithms to evaluate unique crop vegetation indices and canopy signatures. In January 2026, Land IQ specialists and ABA staff travelled over 4,000 kilometres across the regions to conduct an intensive“ ground-truthing” validation program. Land IQ specialists physically inspected orchards to verify and log GPS coordinates, tree age, and landuse characteristics. This real-world field data is then fed back into Land IQ’ s geospatial models to calibrate the algorithms, eliminate remote-sensing classification errors, and ensure the digital data accurately mirrors actual orchard conditions on the ground.
The finalised layout below illustrates the definitive 2026 Australian almond industry footprint, representing the culmination of Land IQ’ s advanced remote sensing and extensive ground validation. To complement this geographic overview, the accompanying graph provides a detailed breakdown of the data, illustrating exactly how those 70,967Ha total are distributed across the key production regions.
Region
2023 hectares( Land IQ)
Adelaide Plains 506 449 Sunraysia 33,790 34,131 Riverina 14,946 19,037 Riverland 11,942 14,370 Swan Region 818 818 Outside ABA Region 427 2,163 Total 62,428 70,967
2026 hectares( Land IQ)
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