Almond Orchard Establishment in Kazakhstan
Planting experience with almond in Kazakhstan is limited to trials in reports up to 2022. At Turgen, Almaty region, an orchard of several nut crops was laid out in 2017 with drip irrigation and fertilizer application. Of seven almond cultivars planted there, three took hold, and in late 2022 the farm expected its first almond results in about two years. A nursery in Saryagash district, Turkestan region, grew almond among more than 40 species and cultivars in 2017.
Site choice must allow for cold winters and early bloom. At Turgen, the farm reported -37 °C in the winter of 2017 to 2018 and +42 °C in summer, and dry air limited the establishment of young trees. In the south, almond flowered in Shymkent in late February 2026 after an unusually warm winter, several weeks earlier than usual, and a news report warned that even short frosts in early March could damage the blossom.
No Kazakh source found names almond cultivars or rootstocks tested for orchards. Wild common almond is a declining species in Kazakhstan: a 2025 study places its natural populations along the Ugam River in Turkestan region, and its authors selected 34 wild genotypes and micropropagated promising ones to help restore the populations. Test several cultivars on a small area first, and before planting, plan rows, headlands and trunk height for shakers and catching frames.
Practical Tips for Almond Orchard Establishment
Test cultivars on a small area before planting at scale: at Turgen, Almaty region, only three of seven almond cultivars took hold.
Plant away from frost pockets: almond bloomed in Shymkent in late February 2026, and a news report warned that early March frosts could harm the blossom.
Plan for hard winters: the Turgen farm reported -37 °C in the orchard's first winter, 2017 to 2018, and uses shelterbelts against heat and frost.
Install drip irrigation before planting: the Turgen orchard was designed with drip, and dry air limited the establishment of young trees there.
Record each cultivar's bloom date, frost damage and winter survival, so that later plantings use the cultivars that performed.
Plan rows, headlands and tree form for the shaker, sweeper and harvester before planting, and check trunk clearance with OVE Europe.
Recommended Establishment Stages
Almond Orchard Care & Maintenance in Kazakhstan
Summers in the south are hot and dry: by Kazhydromet's 1991 to 2020 norms, Shymkent averages 4 mm of rain in August at a mean of +25.8 °C. In 2022 the driest parts of the Turkestan region had only 12 to 15% of their summer rain norm, and in 2025 the Almaty region had its second-driest summer since 1941. No Kazakh source found gives almond water needs or irrigation schedules.
No Kazakh guidance on almond pests or diseases was found. EPPO lists the peach twig borer (Anarsia lineatella) as present in Kazakhstan and Monilinia fructicola, a brown rot fungus, as absent, confirmed by survey; the almond seed wasp is not listed for Kazakhstan, which does not prove it is absent. University of California guidance advises removing mummy nuts from trees before bud swell as a sanitation step.
Spring frost has hit fruit trees: in March 2021, opened flower buds in the Sairam and Baydibek districts in the south could not withstand a cold spell, and a 2022 news report said March frost had coincided with fruit tree bloom. For care work, the ID DAVID SURFEED spreads solid manure, the ID-XL weeds the tree row, the Mañez Lozano Mega Twister S6 sprays tall, dense canopies and the ID DAVID ID-REX disc pruner makes lateral and topping cuts.
Recommended Orchard Care & Maintenance Stages
Practical Tips for Almond Orchard Care & Maintenance
Plan irrigation for the whole summer: in 2022, the driest parts of the Turkestan region had only 12 to 15% of their summer rain norm.
Watch forecasts from February: almond bloomed in Shymkent in late February 2026, and frost down to -15 °C was forecast for the region in March.
Prepare frost protection before bloom: in March 2026, growers in Shymkent burned straw and branches to wrap blooming trees in smoke.
Check shoots and fruit for the peach twig borer, which EPPO lists as present in Kazakhstan.
Remove mummy nuts from trees before bud swell, by shaking or hand poling, as University of California guidance advises.
Keep the tree row weed-free with an in-row weeder such as the ID DAVID ID-XL, and keep the orchard floor level for harvest.
Almond Harvesting in Kazakhstan
No Kazakh source found describes when or how almonds are harvested in Kazakhstan. University of California guidance dates the start of hull split from the first split hulls in the top southwestern part of the tree and advises harvesting as soon as the nuts come off well. In orchards planted for machines on suitable ground, mechanized harvesting can bring the crop in on time, with less risk of nuts deteriorating while they wait.
By Kazhydromet's 1991 to 2020 norms, Shymkent averages 4 mm of rain in August and 9 mm in September, and the Turkestan region outside its mountain districts 1 to 13 mm in September, but October brings 39 mm to Shymkent, and Almaty city averages 34 mm in August and 28 mm in September. Autumn rain in the south varies: above the norm in 2022 and 2024, well below it in 2025. With no Kazakh source on almond harvest dates or ground drying, this guide takes the cautious route: prompt pickup, with hulling and drying at once, alongside catching frames.
Flory harvesting machinery is available in Kazakhstan through OVE Europe for both systems. On the ground, the VR700 Shaker, V62 Sweeper and 8772 Harvester feed the 1500 Conveyor Cart and ST14 Shuttle. Off the ground, the Flory COE C7 Shaker and L2 Receiver catch the almonds in a frame around the trunk, the Flory COE B8 Cart and VS25 Shuttle carry them, and the 4840 Field Elevator loads trailers in both systems.
Almond Harvest Workflow (Recommended Equipment)
Practical Tips for Almond Harvesting
Track hull split from the first split hulls in the top southwestern part of the tree, and shake once nuts come off well, as University of California guidance advises.
Pick up promptly after shaking: University of California guidance notes that ant damage to nuts increases the longer they lie on the ground.
Watch the forecast from late September: Shymkent's October norm is 39 mm of rain, against 9 mm in September.
If rain wets almonds on the ground, do not stockpile them wet: University of California guidance warns of mold and concealed damage.
Where almonds must stay off the ground, use catching frames: the Flory COE C7 Shaker works with the L2 Receiver.
Use shakers and catching frames only in orchards planted for machines, never on yard trees, terraces or steep slopes.
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Almond Post-Harvest Handling & Processing in Kazakhstan
No Kazakh source found describes almond hulling, drying, storage or cracking in Kazakhstan. University of California guidance warns that rain-wet nuts do not hull cleanly, and that nuts should not be stockpiled above 12% moisture in the hull, 6% in the kernel or 9% for the whole fruit. Promptly picked or frame-caught almonds therefore need hulling and drying in the shell before storage.
Under the Customs Union technical regulation TR CU 021/2011 on food safety, which applies across the Eurasian Economic Union, aflatoxin B1 in nuts may not exceed 0.005 mg/kg; almonds are not named separately. The interstate standard GOST 32857-2014 for sweet almond kernels allows at most 6.5% moisture, defines highest, first and second grades and calls for storage in clean, dry, odor-free rooms; Kazakhstan is among the states that voted for it, but whether it is in force there could not be confirmed.
Kazakhstan recorded 8,555.0 t of shelled almond imports in 2025, 40.0% of them by weight from the United States, 37.9% from Chile and 21.4% from China, and 415.1 t in shell, mostly from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (UN Comtrade via WITS); partner records are far lower. Jessee, whose processing lines OVE Europe supplies, builds hulling, drying, in-shell cleaning and sizing, and shelling systems; its Airlegs nut cleaner was developed for the almond industry.
For general information only. Information may become outdated and does not replace site-specific professional advice. Consult a qualified agronomist and confirm equipment suitability with OVE before acting.
Practical Tips for Almond Post-Harvest Handling & Processing
Hull promptly picked or frame-caught almonds while the hulls are fresh, then dry the nuts in the shell before storage.
Never stockpile undried almonds: University of California guidance warns against stockpiling above 12% hull, 6% kernel or 9% fruit moisture.
Dry kernels to 6.5% moisture or less where buyers work to GOST 32857-2014, and confirm the limit with each buyer.
Store kernels in clean, dry rooms free of foreign odors, as GOST 32857-2014 specifies, and keep each lot separate.
Test every lot for aflatoxin B1: TR CU 021/2011 limits it to 0.005 mg/kg in nuts.
Size and grade kernels to each buyer's specification, and label every lot by orchard block and cultivar.
Recommended Post-Harvest Handling & Processing Stages
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