WCN Dec e

deep-water ports on the West Coast
that can take the biggest, most efficient
shippers, because right now they can’t.
We also need to invest in the modernization
of ports. That automation and
technology would provide significant
long-term security.
I’m happy to say that Joshua Woods,
Blue Diamond’s director of transportation,
warehousing and order
management, was named to the U.S.
Federal Maritime Commission’s new
National Shipper Advisory Committee
in September. It’s an honor for him and
for Blue Diamond to have a seat at that
vital table. Other committee members
representing both importers and
exporters include notable companies
such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and
Cargill. Together, they will advise the
commission on policies relating to our
nation’s ocean freight delivery system.
Q: As California enters another year
of drought, what do you foresee
“
We used to pay our growers 1 cent per pound
more than what they would get if they delivered
their almonds to anyone else. Now, we’re
up to 20 cents a pound.
– Mark Jansen, Blue Diamond
for the state’s almond production?
The drought does have an impact
on yields. We are seeing it in this year’s
crop. We came off last year with an
all-time record crop where everything
was working: adequate water, perfect
bloom weather, everything came into
place. We’re looking at a crop this year
that is constrained in yields because
of the drought. What we know about
droughts and almond trees, however,
is that the biggest impact is not the
year when the drought occurs; it’s the
following year. So, we foresee not only
a shorter crop this year but an even
”
shorter crop next year.
The other thing is, if you’re an
almond grower with a tree toward the
end of its lifecycle, you may determine,
‘I’ve got limited water supplies. I’m
going to put all my water on my young
orchards, and I’ll pull out this orchard
a year or two ahead of time.’ So, we’ll
see some reduced acreage because of
that dynamic. While there are still
some plantings going on, we’ll see some
pull-outs of those older orchards. For
the next couple of years, we’re anticipating
lower supplies of almonds.
Continued on Page 14
Farming From Here On
We simplify farming. Our comprehensive software
is tailored to your unique location, scale, and crop
variety, and offers hands-on control with handsoff
ease. We translate data into acres of deep
Learn about the next generation of
AgCode, reimagined for intelligent business
decisions, at agcode.com/contact/.
December 2021 www.wcngg.com 13