California’s 2009 almond acreage is estimated at 810,000 acres, up 2 percent from the 2008 acreage of 795,000, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Sacramento, Calif., Field Office.

Of the 2009 acreage, 720,000 acres were bearing and 90,000 acres were non-bearing. Preliminary bearing acreage for 2010 is estimated at 740,000 acres.

Nonpareil continued to be the leading variety followed by Carmel and Butte. The Monterey, Wood Colony, and Aldrich varieties showed significant acreage increases.

Kern, Merced, Stanislaus, and Fresno were the leading almond-producing counties in 2009. The counties had 64 percent of the total acreage, unchanged from the previous year.