California: helada daña 20% los cultivos de almendras en Bakersfield

Freezing temperatures late last month have damaged an undetermined share of Kern’s almond crop, though the county appears to have dodged the worst of a situation that may or may not affect a worsening oversupply in the market.

Preliminary reports suggest northern parts of the Central Valley got hit worst with frost on consecutive nights just at the most sensitive time, when fertilized buds were forming into nutlets. Orchards in the central and southwestern parts of the valley have reported more limited damage.

It’s too early to tell how extensive the losses are, or even if there will be any damage at all, given that almond trees shed 20 percent to as much as 40 percent of their least healthy nuts starting around next month.

The uncertainty itself lifted prices a little bit recently. But when viewed in the wider context of the drought, shipping bottlenecks and trade disputes, frost damage is just one more problem for California’s almond industry to wrestle.

Kern County farm manager Martin Hein said he has seen some damage in low elevation parts of Kings County, and he has seen pictures of harm to nutlets further north — but not enough problems in Kern to be significant.

«I think we were lucky that we were at the onset of bloom» when temperatures dipped the lowest, Hein said. He added that the recent uncertainty improved the market for a couple of weeks as confectioners and foreign buyers put in orders so as to avoid potentially higher prices later if the outlook darkens.

Wasco-area grower Geoffrey King said cold set in at his orchards but probably not enough to cause damage. He said it may have helped that he plants later-blooming varieties.

 

bakersfield.com/march 19, 2022

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