Walnuts on the march

How do you see the UK market specifically right now?

Imports of California walnuts are strong, and have been growing over the past eight years. Snacking is growing more and more and consumers are looking for healthy snacks. These products are purchased at retail, so that is where the growth is with a consistent share of sales around 73 per cent.

Becoming part of consumers’ shopping list is our target, and there are plenty of opportunities to do that. More opportunities are made available for healthy products to communicate with consumers.

Brands are creating more health-orientated products and nuts are forming a large part of those new products.

Retailers are keen to partner with healthy products, and it is a great time to be marketing nuts and dried fruit. We are working with more retailers every year as more shelf space is being made available to heathy products, including nuts.

Do you have any UK or Europe-specific marketing plans you can tell us about?

With our in-country representatives, we operate significant programmes to increase awareness of the benefits of consuming California walnuts. All through social channels and press office activities, with consumer press and newspapers, and a focus on health research and usage.

Retail activitations are key to the success of our programmes. We work with retailers to ensure California walnuts are merchandised throughout the store, not just in the baking aisle.

Our team has longstanding relationships with retailers and importers, and design programmes online and offline that put California walnuts at the part of the shopping journey.

How important is branding in this category, and what would you say are the USPs of your product?

The word ‘California’ has a cachet among UK consumers:

• Versatility – California walnuts are an ingredient to use with everyday foods as well as snacking
• Quality – California walnuts are safe, sustainable growing practices and orchard management
• Health – California walnuts are nutrient dense and possess an EFSA health claim
• Origin - UK Consumers react positively to seeing ‘California’ on pack
• Consistency – California walnuts are consistent and reliable in all applications.

In 2025, heart disease in the UK remains a major health crisis, with over 7.6 million people living with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and rising mortality rates in working-age adults.

This is happening despite efforts to improve detection and prevention through initiatives like the NHS Health Check program and government policies on diet and smoking. Contributing factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and widening health inequalities.

Linking with Heart UK is a relevant supporting promotional message for trade and consumers alike. California Walnuts are the only nut to have the Heart UK seal of approval.

How much potential for further growth is there for dried fruit and nuts among consumers?

Lots! Nuts in particular are not at their zenith, yet Statista data shows the UK’s total nuts import value hit £290.78mn in 2024, up from £243.86mn in 2023, while ground nuts imports reached £162.77mn in 2024, indicating strong demand for various nut types, driven by health trends and plant-based diets. Brazil nuts, cashews, and coconuts are seeing increased import values as well

How is this season looking from your perspective? Is the crop up or down, and why?

California walnut growers know what it means to weather challenges. In 2023 we had one of the largest crops, and in 2024 we had one of the smallest due to poor pollination temperatures in the spring time.

However, the 2025 growing season was exceptional with ideal temperatures all season long, especially the last few weeks. Growers and handlers reported that as a result, crop utilisation was very high, which means there were very few walnuts eliminated in the orchards and huller/dryers.

The walnuts are peaking at larger sizes and the edible meat yields, a key measurement for inshell buyers, are the highest in the last five years. Late-season rains impacted about 25 per cent of the in-shell lots (colour) and created a split market for pre-rain and post-rain walnut sales.

We started the season with one of the lowest carry-in inventories in years at 70,000 tonnes and that was mostly sold out by the time the new crop started shipping. By early October, as the weekly harvest made its way through the hullers and dryers and arrived at the processors, it became clear the crop would exceed the USDA-NASS crop estimate of 710,000t.

By early November, handlers started to adjust their sales plans for a crop that could be closer to 775,000 to 800,000t, which is up to 13 per cent higher than estimates.

How do you see the global market

Against the backdrop of a light crop in 2024, the industry started to recapture some of the key markets that it was not able to fully supply in 2024/25. During December, sales volumes hit a near record for with pivotal inshell markets such as Türkiye and the UAE rebounding, increasing YTD sales by 220% and 154%, respectively. Core kernel markets, including Germany (+75%), the Netherlands (+47%) and the Middle East (+50%), a non-traditional kernel market, also increased sales significantly.

What are the major challenges facing producers?

California walnut growers are facing extreme economic pressures that threaten all agricultural producers around the globe. For the last four years, the reality of record-high input costs (labour, farm services, rent, fertilisers, crop protections, utilities, etc) and low walnut prices have culminated in many walnut growers experiencing negative margins.

International trade agreements create uncertainty. Extremely high tariff rates such as 100 per cent in India limit growth, and global supply exceeds demand, all of which continues to fuel challenges to drive walnut demand.

Fortunately California walnut acreage is stable, with 60 per cent of the acreage less than 20 years of age. Following the state-wide rains in December, the state government announced that the entire state is now completely out of the drought and water reservoirs, which provide agriculture with irrigation water, exceed season average levels.

What will take the category to the next level?

Repositioning walnuts. In the US the long-awaited Dietary Guidelines were published, emphasising “real” nutrient-dense foods – including nuts – as the foundation for a healthy diet.

Accompanying reports featuring walnuts on their list of “rich sources of [omega-3] ALA,” offering good news for walnuts, which, for the first time, were clearly represented in the new food pyramid. While the DGA is critically important in guiding US government health and nutrition policy, they also help create a societal dialogue around improved dietary habits.

Walnuts are being touted well beyond their baking and functional benefits and instead becoming part of a lifestyle. Recent headlines highlight this shift, with USA Today declaring “Walnuts are having a moment,” German media calling them “the new superfood” and even clothing and lifestyle brand Lululemon introducing a new activewear colour named “walnut crunch.”

Once seen as “grandma’s baking nut,” walnuts are now on trend.