21 April, 2015

Almonds in driest part of Victoria, ridiculous, but maybe not


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rowing almonds in the driest parts of Victoria might seem ridiculous.

Almonds in outright terms, they are
more water efficient than dairy cows.
That is, of course, until you understand that in outright terms almonds are more water efficient than dairy cows.

In its story - “Stop Vilifying Almonds” – Slate magazine says, “Replacing a glass of cow’s milk with almond milk is a net gain for the environment.

“But almond trees, which must be watered even when they’re not producing, have been gradually displacing fields of row crops that can be fallowed when the weather turns dry. That means by planting almonds, farmers are locking in future water use for decades to come—a troubling trend.”

Slate’s story explores the almond dilemma and today’s Melbourne Age carries a story about what is happening with almonds in Victoria’s Riverland - “Almond centre for excellence announced for the Riverland”.

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