Where are almonds grown in Australia?
Almonds in Australia are grown mostly in irrigated districts along the Murray River, including the Riverland of South Australia, Sunraysia in Victoria and the Riverina in New South Wales. Australia is one of the world's largest almond producers.
The almond industry has grown rapidly since the early 2000s, with large new orchards planted along the Murray. Australia is now the second-largest almond producer in the world after the United States.
Almond trees need hot, dry summers and cool winters, along with reliable irrigation. The Murray Valley provides these conditions, though water supply remains a major issue.
Bees and the harvest
Almond trees bloom in late winter, and orchards depend on honeybees to pollinate the flowers. Huge numbers of beehives are moved into the orchards each year, making almond pollination one of the largest pollination events in Australia.
Harvest takes place in late summer and autumn, when machines shake the trees and the nuts are collected from the ground. The nuts are then hulled, cleaned and sorted.
Most Australian almonds are exported to markets in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The rapid expansion of almond orchards has raised concerns about water use in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Did You Know?
Almond blossom in the Riverland and Sunraysia attracts visitors in August.