California almond growers, who produce all of...

California almond growers, who produce all of the U.S. commercial crop, anticipate their first really profitable crop since 1980. “It’s been a great year,” Roger Baccigaluppi, president of the California Almond Growers Exchange, told the cooperative’s 77th annual meeting. Despite lower prices recently in anticipation of a record crop, which is the largest in 18 years, the nuts are selling well, Baccigaluppi said. “Virtually every member should be profitable this year,” he said of CAGE’s 5,300 member growers. The co-op will market 55% of the crop, mostly under its Blue Diamond label.