INDUSTRY NEWS
Almond plantings pass 70,000ha
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In January Land IQ’ s Joel Kimmelshue, Almond Board of Australia’ s Kim Burden-Payne and Land IQ’ s Chris Stall travelled throughout Australia’ s main almond growing regions ground truthing data for the spatial mapping project.
AUSTRALIA ' S almond industry has pushed past the 70,000-hectare mark, with total plantings now sitting at 70,968 hectares, according to the Almond Board of Australia’ s latest annual planting survey. Much of that growth traces back to the Riverina, which remains the industry’ s standout performer. It’ s a run of strong, sustained expansion that has cemented the region’ s status as one of the industry’ s primary growth engines, and shows little sign of slowing. Further east, a new contender is emerging alongside it: the Goulburn Valley, where a wave of new plantings points to rising grower confidence and marks the region as one of the
In A Nutshell- Spring 2026 Vol 27 Issue 3
more notable developments to come out of this year’ s data. Not every region is riding the same wave. The Adelaide Plains has continued its steady decline in planted area, extending a pattern the survey has now captured across several consecutive years, a reminder that the industry’ s overall growth is masking some very different stories at the regional level. Beneath the headline hectare figures, the survey is also revealing how growers are making decisions on the ground. Nemaguard has come to dominate as a rootstock of choice, now accounting for 52,479.6 of the industry’ s 70,968