Why Almonds are Good

Almonds are good for our health, the environment and a valuable contributor to local communities and the Australian economy.

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Economy

Good for the economy

Almonds are Australia's most valuable horticultural crop. For each tonne of almonds sold in Australia, 2.6 tonnes were exported.

Good for river communities

The almond industry is an integral part of our regional communities. The industry contributes significantly to the economic wellbeing of regional cities and towns in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.

Water is vital to plants and animals. It is a large input into food production whether that is cropping or farming animals. Almonds are no exception and require between 12 and 14 megalitres per hectare on mature orchards to produce on average yields of 3.2 tonnes of almond kernel and around 6 tonnes of hull and shell. Without water food production ceases and the wellbeing of farming regions is impacted. With efficient water use our producing regions can flourish to the benefit of all.

Environment

“Almond trees capture and store a significant amount of carbon both above and below the surface over their 25-year lifecycle... This carbon storage provides a climate benefit not considered in conventional carbon footprints.” Alissa Kendall, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of California.

The Shell

The shells are used for composting and as a renewable fuel source for electricity generation.

The Hull

The hulls are rich in sugar, nutritious minerals and fibre. Almond hulls are a reliable source of nutrition for livestock, particularly in times of drought when fodder is scarce.

Future biomass uses

Research is being conducted into new uses for the hull and shell biomass including producing food grade sugars, plastics, natural absorbent materials and as part of a process to produce fish and poultry foods.

Water

Good use of water

Almond growers use the latest technology to use water efficiently and are always trying to improve further in this area of natural resource use by growing more almonds for every litre applied. The almond industry supports the Murray Darling Basin Plan to share water appropriately between irrigated agriculture and environmental flows. Our water policy seeks to protect the riverine environment where our growers and their families live and work. The almond industry was the first horticultural industry to request a moratorium on new developments receiving approval to irrigate until governments could provide assurances that water was able to be delivered from storages in a reliable manner without undue environmental impact. Those in the water authorities applauded the almond industry’s leadership on the issue.

Almond Trees

Almond trees need pollen from other varieties to cross pollinate and produce fruit nutlets.

Bees

Bees provide the movement of pollen between the tree flowers as they collect the high protein almond pollen that is so good for the developing young bees in the hives.

Almond Growers

Almond growers work closely with beekeepers to ensure that the health of the bees are well supported on our farms with water and more recently flowering covercrops to provide a diversity of diet for the bees.

Almonds and Bees: A healthy partnership

“The pollen in almond blossoms is an excellent source of nutrition for bees. Our beehives are stronger and healthier after being in an almond orchard than before”. PETER MCDONALD, APIARIST AND RECENT CHAIR OF THE AUSTRALIAN HONEY BEE INDUSTRY COUNCIL.

Almonds and Bees

Australia currently has approximately 230,000 hives in our orchards during the pollination season, and this figure is increasing as young trees commence to flower and grow into larger trees with more and more blooms. The almond industry, by paying beekeepers well to bring their hives to orchards during bloom, is increasing both the number of bees and their health and the viability of beekeepers. Following the almond blossom season, the bees move on to honey production or pollinating other crops such as apple, pears, avocados and canola.

Orchard workers take care not to agitate the bees as they are busy in the orchards. The beekeepers carefully match the number of hives in the orchard to the available pollen as flowering commences, peaks and then lessens. This recent learning to match bee numbers to flower numbers means bees have plenty of nutrition available to them as they work to provide for the hive’s emerging brood, queen and workers. No disease sprays are applied in almond orchards while the bees are flying and pollinating the trees.

Almond Blossom Festivals

Good for local communities

The communities in almond producing regions are holding festivals during July / August period when the orchards are in full bloom and offer a magnificent backdrop to celebrate the coming warmer weather and growing season for almonds and many other crops grown in the food bowls of Sunraysia, Riverina and Riverland.