Despite the ongoing challenges presented by Covid-19, overall almond shipments seem to remain strong. Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen said it has been a bit of a mixed message for the almond industry over the past 18 months. Producer prices have been less than ideal as the almond volume has remained abundant. However, Jacobsen noted that all-in-all, there is an optimistic outlook for almonds with demand keeping shipments moving at a good pace.
The pandemic initially threw trade markets into turmoil, with supply chains having to adapt to a very different landscape. Port delays have continued to be a problem for the agricultural sector throughout the pandemic.
Some of the transportation challenges remain, but conditions have slowly been improving. If demand continues to be robust, it should help keep demand high as transportation issues begin to be resolved. “I would look at it from more of an optimistic standpoint. Consumers are still clamoring for almonds,” Jacobsen told agnetwest.com.