The state of the industry presentation during the 2022 Almond Conference carried a lot of optimism for the future. There were more than 4,000 registrants for this year’s three-day event highlighting a variety of subjects important to growers. Almond Board of California (ABC) Chair Alexi Rodriguez said that despite the industry challenges, there are indicators of a positive road ahead.
“You can’t avoid the fact that the industry is kind of overwhelmed with challenges right now. So, with that information, the Board of Directors got together in February, and we decided what the strategic priorities are. So, you’ve got driving global demand, supporting a favorable trade and regulatory environment, maximizing industry efficiency, and then optimizing organizational potential,” Rodriguez explained. “Although we have these great challenges, we have a lot of opportunity to grow and to innovate.”
During the presentation, Rodriguez and ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott highlighted the work taking place on several fronts to ensure that industry challenges are being met with support and research. Many of the sessions at this year’s conference were offered as a resource to help growers and handlers better navigate the industry challenges. Multiple efforts are underway to help build interest in almonds in international markets and increase overall consumption. Rodriguez noted that perseverance through the hard times will require a unified industry and a collaborative approach to the issues at hand.
“I don’t have all the answers. You don’t have all the answers. No one person has all the answers. So, it’s really imperative that we get as many minds together as possible to brainstorm it and to work through this,” said Rodriguez. “I think the more that we communicate the better decisions that we make are going to be and ultimately the better product we’re going to continue to provide the world.”
Listen to Rodriguez’s interview below.
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