Nut Harvest Time in Merced County

Growers are pleased with the production, concerned about prices and water

Workers pruning nut orchards in Merced County following a successful harvest. Photo: Steve Newvine

It’s been a good season for almonds and other nut crops in Merced County.  With most of the harvest on the way to processing, growers are back in the orchards pruning to give the trees a better shot for a more productive season next year.

While the official numbers are not in on the harvest of 2019, current trends point to another good season for almond growers.

According to the Merced County Agriculture Commissioner’s 2018 report, the almond harvest including hulls was valued at about $460 million.  Over one-hundred thousand acres were in use that year.

Pistachios and walnuts came in at $27 and $16 million respectively.

Tractors and nut harvesting equipment on display at the Merced County Nut Festival held at the County Fairgrounds in October. Photo: Steve Newvine

There was even a Nut Festival in October

This first-of-its-kind event was organized to celebrate the nut industry in Merced County, to educate the community on just how big the business is, and to establish a mechanism to give back to area non-profits that help young people.

“We are a major player on the world stage with these commodities,” said Necola Adams who headed up the Festival.  “We needed to celebrate this!”

In a report to the Board of Supervisors, and available to the public at the county’s website (https://www.co.merced.ca.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/810) Agricultural Commissioner David A. Robinson stated the 2018 almond acreage was down a little over one-percent by about six thousand acres. 

That decrease is part of an overall decrease in farm acreage in the year attributed primarily to falling commodity prices

Still, overall agriculture in Merced County had a gross value of three-and-a-quarter billion dollars according to the report.

The Merced County Nut Festival was started in 2019 to celebrate the large nut growing and processing industry. Over 100,000 acres of farmland produced almonds, pistachios, and walnuts in 2018. Photo: Steve Newvine

Nuts, particularly almonds, are a big piece of Merced County’s agricultural market.  

Commissioner Robinson’s report to the Board of Supervisors makes it clear that while almond acreage and prices are down, the crop remains number two in the County’s top fifteen commodity rankings. 

Milk continues to be the County’s top commodity.

“Commodity prices are affected by trade and are linked together,” Commissioner Robinson says. 

Merced County almonds and walnuts are exported all over the world. 

The Commission report states that phytosanitary certificates, relating to the health of plants with respect to the requirements of international trade, have been issued worldwide. 

Japan, India, and Mexico are the top three countries in terms of the number of certificates issued.

Children enjoy a mini-train ride as part of the Merced County Nut Festival. Photo: Steve Newvine

The greatest threat to the burgeoning nut industry in Merced County is water. 

But prices, trade regulations, and urban growth will continue to inflict pressure in the sector.  

“Commodity prices and water availability are an ongoing concern for growers of all commodities including almonds,” Commissioner Robinson said.

Necola Adams with the Nut Festival says that’s exactly why informing the community about this important part of agriculture is necessary.  “We also needed to educate the community on who we are, and the process it takes from tree to table.”

The County’s first Nut Festival program speaks to growing the now one-day event into a three-day affair with attendance crossing over the 100,000 mark over the next several years. 

The Festival’s challenge, like most of the nut industry in the region, puts a lot of hope in maintaining the Central Valley’s role as a leader in the world markets.

Steve Newvine lives in Merced. 

He will release Course Correction, a book about golf, in December.