Rain has put an end to the harvest of walnuts in California. The majority of nuts were harvested on time before last week's big rain event. "We are very happy with the quality this year," says Bill Carriere with Carriere Family Farms. The first 30 percent of the crop was harvested before the first rain arrived and these nuts are of excellent quality, both internal and external. "This is very important to buyers from Turkey and India as they are looking for a high-quality nut with a clean outside shell."
The first rain didn't do a lot of damage and only delayed harvest by three to four days. "Over time, we got a shower here or there, but the quality held well. It's just the exterior that looks a bit dirty and these walnuts will be sold in shelled format rather than in-shell," Carriere explained. Fortunately, it took until the end of harvest for significant rain to arrive.
Production volume up from original estimate
Yields are up compared to last year but vary by growing region. In the northern part of California, some growers are witnessing higher yields compared to last year while others have to deal with similar yields to 2024. In the Central Valley on the other hand, yields are high and comparable to the record numbers of 2023. As a result, total production volume is higher than the original estimate of 710,000 tons. "Because yields in the central part of the state are higher than expected, I think total production will be around 750,000 tons this year," Carriere shared.
© Carriere Farms
Decent pricing
After a few challenging years, prices are decent at the beginning of the new season. In-shell walnuts are being sold between $1 and $1.10/lb. and buyers are willing to pay up to $1.15 for high-quality in-shell nuts. The price for kernels is around $3/lb. "Last year, we were faced with a short crop of 604,000 tons and nevertheless, prices were still reasonable." This probably had to do with the fact that Chile was still in the market when California's harvest started. "This year, there seems to be more of a balance as there aren't many 2024 nuts left going into the 2025 season." Carriere expects 2025 prices to be similar or just slightly under the 2024 crop prices.
Exports to 25 countries
Sales are going well for Carriere Family Farms. "All our in-shell walnuts are spoken for as Turkey and India jumped in." Most of the remainder of the shipments will be shelled nuts and, leading up to the holiday season, demand is high. "We have a full packing schedule and are booked up through January," said Carriere. The company's walnuts make their way over to 25 countries around the world with the European Union being the largest buyer. In addition, the U.K., Turkey, India, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East are significant buyers. Not much is being shipped to China as the country has a big crop of their own.
With Chile being down to the last shipments of the season, there isn't much competition left for California. Walnuts are grown in Eastern Europe, but not in significant quantities. In addition, these walnuts are of a darker color. During last year's short California crop, Turkey purchased walnuts from China, but not all retail customers were happy. "California is a reliable supplier, which buyers have come to appreciate."
© Carriere Farms
Left: walnut trees in November. Right: Carriere's daughter Christina at harvest.
All in all, Carriere is very optimistic about the outlook for the season. After several years of suppressed prices due to inferior quality, a record crop, trade uncertainties, and competition from Chile, the industry is relieved this season is off to a much better start.
For more information:
Bill Carriere
Carriere Family Farms
Tel: (+1) 530-934-8200
[email protected]
www.carrierefarms.com
