The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that the total number of California almonds harvested will be 3 billion pounds. This represents a 21% increase above last year’s 2.47 billion pounds. The forecast yield is 2,170 pounds per acre, a 380-pound increase from the 2023 harvest.

This increase is the result of a productive bloom this spring. The report noted mostly favorable weather for the first half of the growing season. A handful of storms brought rain, wind, and hail to some areas, but overall mild temperatures from the end of February into early March helped boost pollination. There was minimal to no threat of frost damage, and water allocation was not an issue for the second year in a row.

This forecast comes two weeks after Land IQ’s 2024 Standing Acerage Initial Estimate unveiled that bearing almond acreage in California has decreased by about 600 acres from the previous year.

Read more about the 2024 almond forecast here.