Record almond crop in California despite drought

California’s almond growers will harvest a record-setting crop of 2.1 million pounds this year, up 4.5 percent from last year, says USDA, despite a three-year drought. The record crop is 2.03 million pounds in 2011. Acreage is up this year. “Orchards required irrigation in the winter months due to the lack of precipitation, but rain early in the season offered some temporary relief,” said USDA. California grows 80 percent of the world’s almonds.

“The state’s severe drought has prompted some growers to rip out orchards or curtail production this year, but (the) report suggests that the industry overall is holding strong,” said a Modesto Bee story. “Growers have replaced some of the reduced river water supplies with increased well pumping, raising concern in some places about overdraft. They also might fallow annual crops to get more water to the trees, purchase water from other growers, and conserve the supplies with soil-moisture monitoring and other techniques.”

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