FROM THE EXECUTIVE
From the Executive ...
Peter Hayes , ABA Chairperson and Tim Jackson , ABA CEO |
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While the many health benefits of eating almonds continue to resonate with consumers and drive demand , producing them has rarely faced a more challenging time globally .
AS we enter pollination season , the industry faces a range of challenges that are conspiring against growers , processors and marketers . While the many health benefits of eating almonds continue to resonate with consumers and drive demand , producing them has rarely faced a more challenging time globally .
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Late breaking news
The Almond Board of Australia has been working with Victorian Government officials to facilitate the repatriation of Victorian registered hives stuck in NSW since the varroa incursion . A productive meeting with the Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney has led to further considerations around bee movements . The late arrival of bud burst has provided valuable breathing space around hive movements . The longer-term goal for almond growers will be what happens if we are still dealing with varroa next year and how can the process be simplified . Minister Tierney agreed that the Victorian Government was committed to working with industry to facilitate a system that provided security of supply for the almond and beekeeping industries . More to come in due course . The ABA will be investigating the potential of a range of ag-tech solutions to provide more up to date information around pollination that might assist in the 2023 pollination season . Needless , to say , we need to get through 2022 first , but time goes fast and there is no denying that one
In A Nutshell - Winter 2022 Vol 23 Issue 2
Stocking rates in almond orchards are being re-evaluated given the industry wide shortage of hives due to the varroa mite restrictions .
way or another we will be dealing with the varroa situation again next year .
Global production
California is still in the grip of drought . After posting a crop of 3.1 billion pounds ( 1.4 million tonnes ) a year ago , we learnt earlier this month that water shortages have seen crop potential shrink by almost 20 % in less than two years . Spain has been hit hard by frost and its 2022 crop potential could be down by 50 %. Here in Australia , a record crop estimate of 145,000 tonnes of kernel has been reviewed to 138,650 due to ongoing wet weather hampering intakes , while the potential of the 2023 crop in Victoria will be influenced a shortage of bees during pollination .
Varroa response
The outbreak of the varroa mite
in northern NSW on June 22 has triggered a lockout of all NSW hives in other States and left Victorian orchards thousands of hives short . A state-by-state response to a national biosecurity issue was always going to leave an industry like almonds vulnerable given its tri-state footprint . It is another challenge local orchards must endure . Throughout this outbreak , the ABA has been at the forefront of the varroa incursion . We have had Industry Development Manager Deidre Jaensch working in the control centre in Orange for two weeks as part of the initial response and have attended numerous meetings on a daily basis to work with government agencies and beekeepers towards achieving the best possible outcomes for our