California's total almond production is forecast to grow this year as the industry gradually increases yield and acreage, according to the 2014 California Almond Objective Measurement Report. 

The state is expected to produce 4.5% more of the nut year-on-year, reaching 2.1 billion meat pounds.

The report states this year's bloom, which kicked off at the start of February, was one of the earliest 'in memory' following the warmest winter on record for California.

Orchards required irrigation during the winter months due to the lack of precipitation, but rain in the early season offered some temporary relief.

The report added that pest and disease pressure has been lower than last season.

Production of the state's most popular variety, the Nonpareil is forecast to fall by 1% year-on-year, although the average kernel weight is expected to be 8.1% up, compared to the average for all varieties of 6.6%.

California's production of the crop has been growing steadily over recent years alongside the amount of acreage, which has increased 50.9% from 2004 to 860,000 acres.

On top of this, more trees have been packed into the same amount of land, having increased from 103 to 114 trees per acre over the last decade.

Almonds - the new superfood?

Researchers from the U.K.'s Aston University recently found that almond consumption significantly increases the amount of antioxidants in the blood stream, reduces blood pressure and improves blood flow.

The study was led by university professor in biomedical sciences Helen Griffiths, and tested the effects of a short-term almond-enriched diet on men of different age groups, including a control group.

The results showed a diet of almonds could help potentially reduce the risk of heart disease.

"Our study confirms that almonds are a superfood. Previous studies have shown that they keep your heart healthy, but our research proves that it isn’t too late to introduce them into your diet - adding even a handful (around 50g) every day for a short period can help," Griffiths said.

"You could replace a daytime snack with a bag of almonds or add them to your regular meals like porridge or muesli to help reduce your risk of heart problems."

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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