California’s almond crop this year is expected to increase by 21 percent compared to 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The USDA expects the almond crop to total around three billion pounds, a significant boost from the 2.47 billion pounds produced last year. Driving the news: California’s lofty almond production projections are driven by favorable weather for the first half of the growing season, according to an analysis from the USDA. … If California’s almond crop projections are accurate, 2024 would be the second-best year on record in the last decade.