Nov 4, 2024Blue Diamond reports 2024 almond harvest completion, pest pressures
Blue Diamond Growers announced the near completion of the 2024 almond harvest in its latest crop update. The report stated that most growers are wrapping up work across California’s orchards.
The report noted that favorable weather in October enabled smooth harvest operations as temperatures gradually dropped from the high 100s to the low 70s by early November.
Although a predicted rainstorm was less intense than expected, some late-harvested varieties like Fritz and Monterey faced delays, with growers hurrying to gather remaining nuts before wet weather arrived.
Mel Machado, vice president of member relations, noted that the industry took a strategic approach to combatting pest pressures, especially the navel orangeworm (NOW), which plagued last year’s crop.
“Following the excessive kernel damage endured in the 2023 crop, many growers focused on managing their prime nemesis, the navel orangeworm,” Machado said. “However, problematic economics resulted in low-input or marginally farmed orchards across the Central Valley, which served as a source of contamination for neighboring orchards.”
This season saw elevated reject levels across several almond varieties due to a third NOW flight, combined with pest pressures from stink bugs and leaf-footed plant bugs. Machado acknowledged the challenging conditions, noting that while damage levels were lower than in 2023, they were still notably higher than in 2017 — a year marked by heavy NOW impacts.
With the harvest wrapping up, growers are now shifting focus to post-harvest practices, which include soil amendments, final irrigations, pruning and preparations for the upcoming bloom season.
Some growers are already planting cover crops to support honeybee health, while huller/sheller operations process remaining stockpiled almonds.
Several smaller hulling facilities have finished for the season, but larger operations are expected to continue through Thanksgiving.
The full report and images are available on the Blue Diamond Growers website.
