<p></p><p>Monthly exports hit a high over June, with industry reaping the benefits of increased trade prospects in Asia.</p> <p>The Australian almond industry has broken through the A$100m barrier for monthly export sales for the first time. <br></p> <p>According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the value of almond exports topped A$118m (US$87m) for the month of June (2015), eclipsing the previous record of A$90m (US$66m) in May this year. The June 2015 sales figure was 75 per cent higher than the June 2014 export figure of A$318m (US$234m).“The industry marketers continue to do an excellent job in selling the record 2015 crop at prices averaging A$11.55 (US$8.49) per kg for the first six months of the year, well above last year’s prices” said Ross Skinner, CEO of the Almond Board of Australia. “Strong demand for Australian almonds exists, and with the improving global price quoted in US dollar combined with the falling Australian dollar also working in our favour, the return on export tonnage has risen significantly throughout this year”. <br></p> <p>Skinner said the industry is well on track to reaching its forecast export sales for 2015 of 55,000 tonnes, generating A$600m (US$ 441m). India remains the Australian industry’s largest market, with over 10,600 tonnes already shipped to the Asian nation this season. Exporters are also increasing sales into North Asian markets thanks to more favorable trade conditions.“The recent free trade agreements (FTA’s) with Japan and South Korea combined with the industry’s focus on promoting the Australian almond brand in these countries has resulted in promising gains of 295 per cent and 145 per cent, albeit off a low base,” Skinner added. “The China and India FTA’s will be very advantageous to the Australian industry as these are two of the largest almond markets in the world and the removal of tariffs will make a significant impact on returns from these markets.”<br></p><p></p>