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After almonds: what happens to former almond ground in California
Part 10 of 10 in a series on the almond and pistachio sectors in California. Download a complete report here and explore the underlying data in a standalone application here . In previous pieces in this series, we documented the scale of California's almond removal wave , which has seen ~450,000 acres (~182k ha) removed between 2014 and 2024, and the shift in planting patterns. Putting the two together orchard by orchard adds a powerful additional perspective to the subject,

Demeter Research Team
Feb 273 min read


The removal rate puzzle: why are in-district almond orchards being removed faster?
The data shows that inside-district almond orchards are being removed at a higher rate than outside-district orchards. The relationship between surface water access and orchard survival is more complex than the standard narrative suggests.

Demeter Research Team
Feb 244 min read


Pistachio removals: low volumes, striking age profile
Pistachio removals in California is significantly smaller compared to almonds. The crop remains net-positive, but with one stand-out finding.

Demeter Research Team
Feb 243 min read


Almond removals: the other side of the planting collapse
California almond acreage is shrinking. In 2023 and 2024, roughly 118k (~47k ha) more acres were removed than planted. Removals equalled ~10% of the bearing base.

Demeter Research Team
Feb 243 min read


The 2020 anomaly - a white lands planting spike on the eve of the SGMA
In 2020 roughly 30% of all almond acres planted were outside irrigation districts, compared to a long-run average of about 22%. Pistachio planting in 2020 outside-district share was 19%, close to the historical norm.

Demeter Research Team
Feb 232 min read


Almond and pistachio plantings in California have fallen dramatically
California's almond and pistachio sectors are planting fewer acres than at any point in the modern era.

Demeter Research Team
Feb 232 min read
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