LACHLAN RIVER ALMONDS
ALMAS ALMONDS
INDUSTRY NEWS
LACHLAN RIVER ALMONDS
LACHLAN River Almonds at Hillston , which is managed by Southern Cross Farms , has an igloo for drying its crop . The 60m x 15m structure was finished for the 2023 harvest , but it ’ s only had minimal use . Concrete ducting has been installed underground and it runs along the length of the bunker pad . The grates that sit at ground level let the warm air through to the almond stockpile . The roof of the igloo is made from plastic . AIRDRY burners from Toowoomba are used to heat the igloo . The structure can dry 130 tonnes at a time and this takes between 24 to 48 hours depending on the condition of the almonds and the outside weather . The stacks are monitored by
Bluetooth moisture probes . One of the advantages of the igloo is that you don ’ t need to pull tarps on and off . Machinery can also be driven into the structure to load and unload almonds . The igloo can ’ t be filled to the roof because air is needed to help with fan movement , but the almonds can be stacked 5-6m high . If the almonds need turning during the drying process this is done using a telehandler . The igloo wasn ’ t used for drying in 2024 , instead it was used to store Wood Colony and Monterey .
ALMAS ALMONDS
ALMAS Almonds uses a large plinth dryer to reduce the moisture levels in its crop before it ’ s sent for processing . A large chamber of air is heated and pressurised . The heat travels up through the container of almonds , before venting into the atmosphere . Containers take between two and 20 hours to dry . The system was developed over five years . The first prototype was built in 2021 and five more were constructed in 2022 . The six dryers are capable of filling three to six road trains per day . This varies depending on the moisture content , variety and condition of the shell and hull .
“ The system has been built and modulated to meet our delivery commitment to Almondco ,” Almas Almonds general manager Troy Richman said . The system was designed and built by Almas Almonds and is the first of its kind . Californian growers and Riverland grower Century Orchards shared their concepts where air was forced into the end of the container , but Almas Almonds wanted to maximise efficiencies and uniformity in the drying process . Mr Richman said the system paid for itself in the first season it was used . “ Pending if you assess quality downgrades or total crop loss , we are very pleased to have the asset as part of our armour in dealing with adverse production conditions ,” he said . In 2023 Almas Almonds dried 5,000 tonne of field weight with the plinth system . The company was expecting to dry around 1,500 tonnes in 2024 . Mr Richman said the next step is automating the system . “ The containers , burners , fans are all run by controllers or phone apps , we are setting up temperature and humidity sensors that will be ultimately controlled by a PLC ,” he said . “ Then the team will fill the container with nuts from the field and the parameters will be controlled and fully automated .”
industry . australianalmonds . com . au
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