As growers seek to make more informed decisions, a new statistics and benchmarking project is set to provide reliable data to support planning, forecasting and long-term growth for Australia’s almond industry. 

This investment comes at a pivotal time for the industry. According to the latest Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook, almonds remain Australia's highest-value nut crop, with industry value increasing by 19.6 per cent to reach over $1.32 billion - the highest value recorded in the past decade - and export value climbing to a record $1.33 billion. As the industry continues to grow, access to reliable data and benchmarking will play an increasingly important role in supporting informed decision-making and business performance.

The project, funded by Hort Innovation and delivered by the Almond Board of Australia will for the first time, allow participating growers the opportunity to confidentially benchmark key aspects of their business against regional and industry averages, providing practical insights into opportunities to improve profitability.  

Hort Innovation’s General Manager of Industry Service and Delivery, Andrew Francey, said access to reliable data and benchmarking would help growers make more confident decisions:  

"Data is one of the most valuable tools growers have when planning for the future. This project will provide the industry with stronger insights into production trends while giving participating growers practical benchmarking information they can use to enhance productivity, efficiency, and profitability." 

The benchmarking program will focus on anonymised key performance indicators such as yield, water use, efficiency, and production costs. 

Alongside the benchmarking program, the project will also continue the collection, analysis and reporting of core almond industry statistics, ensuring industry participants continue to have access to consistent and reliable information. Together, these insights will help strengthen the Australian almond industry's evidence base, supporting informed investments, improved business performance, and continued industry growth. 

Grower participation will be instrumental in shaping the benchmarking program and building a robust industry dataset that delivers meaningful insights for individual businesses and the wider almond industry.

Growers wanting to learn more about the project or interested in participating in the benchmarking program are encouraged to contact the Almond Board of Australia for further information.