Sources from the Spanish Civil Guard in Zaragoza explained to Efeagro that thefts of almonds are growing as their price increases, although, as has been pointed out, is not a new phenomenon. Last year, in Aragon, a wholesaler actually went to court for purchasing almonds without traceability.
This year, ROCA teams have decided to improve surveillance in the fields during the almond campaign, especially in production areas of Aragon, Murcia and Valencia.
The Civil Guard, which reminded that "we should not buy stolen almonds," pointed out that on 19 September they arrested seven people for stealing 14,776 kilos of almonds and 21,111 kilos of carob in a property in Valencia.
Aside from their good price, "almonds and other nuts have become fashionable crops that offer new business opportunities."
This is one of the conclusions of the "National Symposium of almond and other nuts", held in Lleida and organised by the Institute of Catalan Research and Food Technology (IRTA) in the context of the opening day of the latest fair of Sant Miquel, which took place on 23 September.
At that event, in which 600 people took part, there were talks about the intensive cultivation of almonds, whose supply has created "new business opportunities," citing the United States as an example, a country where the acreage has grown by 50% and production by 120% over the last ten years.
Low productivity in Spain
Ignacio Valcárcel, member of the Association of Exporters of Almonds and Hazelnuts of Spain (ALMENDRAVE), explained that Spain has a comparable acreage to that of the United States, but that production, the third largest in the world, represents only 5% of that obtained by the North American country.
"The reason is that most of the 446,245 hectares that Spain has, according to statements made to receive aid from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), are rainfed crops, while 100% of the 900,000 acres (364,500 hectares) of almonds in California are irrigated just like a fruit would be; like peaches, for example," explained Valcárcel.
In 2014, the president of the Valencian Association of Farmers (AVA-Asaja), Cristóbal Aguado, studied California's intensive almond crops on-site and estimated the net profit per hectare there at $ 24,000 (21,422 Euro).
Valcárcel, who is also vice president of Spain's second largest producer and exporter, the Alicante-based Mañán cooperative, which is also present in Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and Murcia, confirmed that "global demand for almonds is soaring," especially in countries like South Korea, India, China and Germany.
He expects that irrigation will reduce the rainfed acreage in Spain, which now accounts for 82% of the total, although he also acknowledged the high cost of implementing intensive irrigated farming, a system which is also not viable in many Mediterranean areas.
ALMENDRAVE has estimated the average productivity of irrigated crops at 3,000 kilos/hectare and that of rainfed plantation at between 600 and 700 kilos/hectare.
Illegal storage facilities
Regarding the frequent theft of almonds at both plantations and warehouses, which has kept the Civil Guard's ROCA teams extremely busy this season (in which already almost 70% of the production has been harvested), he pointed out that the main reason is their high price and the timely appearance of "illegal storage facilities."
The Sectorial Technician of Cooperativas Agroalimentarias in Castile-La Mancha, Jesús Ángel Peñaranda, has estimated the increase in the production of almond and pistachio this season at 34.3% and 36.4%, respectively. They have consequently become truly valuable crops for the area.
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Magrama) believes this year's almond production will reach 220,600 tonnes, compared to 198,700 tonnes in 2014 and 143,100 tonnes in 2013.
