The area of new almond trees has grown and will continue to grow, exceeding 66,000 hectares by 2023. In the Alqueva area alone, it should expand by at least another 1,540 hectares. As a result, almond kernel production could triple within five or six years. These were some of the revelations at the III Portugal Nuts Congress, which brought together more than 400 participants under the central theme 'Embracing the Future'.
By 2024, Portugal will have at least 6,000 more hectares of almond trees in production, 4,000 more in the Alqueva area, which means approximately 10% of its total area. If this growth continues, the country will be in the top five of the world's leading producers.
This was one of the highlights of the ITI Portugal Nuts Congress, organized at the end of May in Beja by the Dried Fruit Promotion Association. Centered on the theme 'Embracing the Future', it discussed relevant and current issues for almond and walnut production in Portugal with Portuguese and Spanish professionals and more than 100 participants, such as climate change, water issues, sustainability, the outlook for world prices and consumption trends.
NUTSDATA: A PORTAL FOR PRODUCERS
The event saw the unveiling of the first data from NutsData, a portal for collecting data and essential information on nut orchards, launched by Portugal Nuts. The portal relied on the participation of its members in order to collect and find out the data for the 2023 campaign, in particular the cultivation areas, varieties, types and other essential information to get to know and publicize the new plantations in the country.
According to the portal's data, the area of plantations owned by Portugal Nuts' 56 members is 17,414 hectares of almonds and 1,357 hectares of walnuts, which corresponds to 25% of the country's total production of both crops. The members have their almond groves spread over the Alentejo (73%), Beira Interior (15%) and Ribatejo (7%). Members' walnut groves are also mostly planted in the Alentejo (70%) and the Ribatejo (25%). "These areas contributed 7,900 tons of kernels and 1,246 tons of walnuts in shell. This study also found that Portugal Nuts' members have 522 fixed jobs in their nut-related activities," Portugal Nuts points out.
The data also reveals that a very significant percentage of the area already uses practices to protect the soil and preserve biodiversity.
HALF OF THE ALMOND GROVE IS STILL NOT PRODUCING
These figures also show that half of the almond groves will not have started producing in 2023. This is because they are new plantations that are less than three years old and are still in formation.
This means that the production of almond kernels in Portugal could "at least triple in the next five or six years", when the current plantations reach their maximum potential, "going from the 20,000 tons of almond kernels that may have been produced in 2023 to 60,000 tons in five or six years".
"The almond crop must be recognized as being of strategic importance to the country and it needs to know that there is clear support for its growth (adequate irrigation appropriations, phytosanitary solutions to deal with the reduced risk of pests and diseases, and crop insurance rules adapted to the characteristics of this crop), from the Public Administration," said António Saraiva, executive director of Portugal Nuts.
"The objectives of the Dried Fruit Promotion Association are to increase its representativeness by adding more members, to improve the skills of national producers and to promote national production, with a particular focus on almond cultivation, since Portugal will be among the five largest producers in the world in the very short term," he added.
This year's four round tables explored topics such as 'Implications for production: what to do today?', 'How can we do better and differentiate ourselves?', 'How the markets will behave' and 'Increasing nut consumption: food and experiences'. The panels were a space to debate some important ideas for the sector, such as the effect of climate change on plants, the importance of water transformation, the creation of a favorable ecosystem in the south of the country, the importance of insurance in agriculture, the intensification of sustainable production systems and the innovation that this type of product can bring to food.
Speaking to Hipersuper, António Saraiva said that the Portugal Nuts congresses "are always important moments for members and other participants", due to the relevance and topicality of the programs and the large attendance. The association's executive director highlighted the quality of the keynote speakers and the round tables that focused on the theme of their presentations. He also highlighted the fact that one of them brought together live a representative of the Almond Board of California, the CEO of the Almond Board of Australia, the vice-president of Almendrave (Spain) and a director of Portugal Nuts, "for a preview of what the evolution of prices might be over the next five years", in a panel "that covered seventeen time zones". The third edition of the congress also saw the announcement of a postgraduate course in Sustainable Dried Fruit Production, which will take place in 2025, at the Escola Superior Agrária of the Polytechnic Institute of Beja, taught in a hybrid format (face-to-face and online), to train technicians and those interested in these crops. Portugal Nuts has 56 members, from producers to processors, covering around 19,000 hectares of new almond and walnut plantations. Its mission is to be a benchmark organization that promotes the sharing of knowledge and the adoption of sustainable practices, fostering a production and industry that positions itself in valuable markets, communicating its characteristics and incorporating the requisites into its offer.
Its aim is to study, experiment, demonstrate and disseminate cultural practices that are appropriate to the national situation of dried fruit orchards and that lead to an increase in the competitiveness of its members, as well as to defend and represent the interests of its members before all national and international bodies, whether official or private.
Source: Hipersuper, 1 June 2024
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