Production of almonds in Portugal is expected to rise by 20% this year, driven by expansion in the Alentejo region, to a total of 20,000 tons of kernels, in a year marked by drought and heatwaves.
Portugal Nuts executive director António Saraiva told Lusa, citing an analysis carried out by the association jointly with the National Centre for Dried Fruit Skills: “We estimate a total production of twenty thousand tons of almond kernels for the country this year, an increase of twenty percent compared to the previous harvest.”
The increase in output is driven above all by the coming into production of new almond orchards in the Alentejo region, but data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) also points to a 15% increase in production in Trás-os-Montes. The harvest was, Saraiva said, “very difficult” for producers due to the drought, and was also marked by heatwaves, which were detrimental to working conditions.
Portugal Nuts was created in 2020 and is made up of together more than 40 members – both producers and processors.
Source: macaubusiness.com