ABC Ends Funding for NASS Crop Report

The Almond Board of California (ABC) has voted to discontinue its funding of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Objective Measurement Report, ending a decades-long approach to estimating the state’s almond crop. The decision follows extensive consultation with growers, handlers, and other stakeholders, as well as a review by the Almond Forecast Task Force, which developed recommendations for the Almond Quality and Food Safety Services (AQFSS) Committee. After further evaluation, AQFSS advised the Board to cease funding.

According to an ABC press release, their goal is to ensure crop estimates remain factual, unbiased, and better aligned with the industry’s evolving needs. Stakeholders have increasingly raised concerns about the report’s ability to accurately account for variables such as expanding crop sizes, diverse production practices, and varying weather conditions across California’s almond-growing regions.

While the Objective Measurement Report will end, NASS will continue to publish the California Almond Subjective Forecast each May. ABC emphasized its commitment to providing accurate, timely industry information and will continue working with USDA and partners to refine future crop estimation methods.