The Almond Board of California (ABC) kicked off The Almond Conference 2023 on Tuesday, with a spirit of optimism for the future. During the State of the Industry presentation, attendees heard about the variety of efforts underway to help the industry move through challenging times. Chair of the Board of Directors for ABC, Alexi Rodriguez noted that resiliency is the keystone for the industry and that there are reasons to be hopeful for the future.
“We’ve been working through these challenges for what feels like a long time now and I will say one of the nice things about this is that I think because we are all going through this together, there’s a sense of camaraderie in that,” Rodriguez explained. “I think the overall tone is now that we have been doing this for a little bit, we have a clear idea of what has to be done moving forward.”
Several issues including adverse weather, pest damage, high input costs, and tariffs were among those mentioned as contributing to the challenging times for almond growers. However, several speakers noted that ongoing ABC-supported efforts are underway to address the issues. One of the high points is what is taking place to help foster demand in foreign markets.
“There have been a lot of dynamics that have changed in recent years. So, what the Global Demand team did is they identified areas where we could make some meaningful change quickly,” Rodriguez noted. “As we continue to gather data you will start to see some more changes and just fresher and newer ideas and different perspectives.”
Clarice Turner also took the stage for the first time in her capacity taking over for Richard Waycott as ABC president and CEO. The two have spent the last few months working together to ensure a seamless transition. Turner has spent considerable time meeting with industry members to get a first-hand account of the challenges and opportunities moving forward.
“I really couldn’t be more proud of the transition and this process of handing over the keys to Clarice,” Rodriguez said. “I’m really optimistic about the future of the organization. Richard said it, you know, he’s leaving this organization in great hands, and I’m really excited for what the future holds.”
Listen to the segment below.
Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West