Thieves go nuts: Spate of thefts hits growers

At first, Larry Ladd just let it go. But after the farmer caught six thieves plundering his walnut orchard in less than a day, he knew he had a problem.

He’s not the only one. As prices for almonds and walnuts rise with demand, a growing black market has emboldened “nutnappers” to cut holes in fences, sneak into distribution centers and drive off with truckloads of nuts.

“At first, I’d just ask the deputy to impress upon them that this is the wrong thing to do,” Ladd said, “but then it got ridiculous.”

California farmers such as Ladd have reason to be vigilant: Growers here produce about 80% of the world’s almonds and 99% of the nation’s walnuts.

The state’s walnuts earned nearly $4.4 million in 2004, according to the latest figures available from the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Savvy scoundrels target both walnuts and the more valuable almond.

Last month, a Fresno County task force that tackles rural crimes recovered 44,000 pounds of processed almonds taken from a distribution center.

The recovery was a rare break in a series of thefts that has cost California farmers at least $1.5 million in stolen almonds this year, according to the Agricultural Crime Technology Information and Operations Network.

There are typically one or two almond thefts every fall, but in the last 18 months, there have been at least a dozen reports of larger looting, said Marsha Venable, spokeswoman for the Almond Board of California, a marketing group.

Almonds sell for about $3 a pound wholesale. The nuts are worth so much that thieves who drive away whole truckloads have been known to abandon the vehicles and keep the almonds.

Acreage devoted to almonds has increased 13% over the last five years as growers abandon other crops. Almonds were a $2.2-billion commodity in California in 2004, according to the farm bureau.

Farmers, processors and trucking centers have added cameras and security guards, though monitoring grounds can be difficult and expensive.

“My farm’s right on a busy road. I can’t install motion detectors, and I can’t afford to pay someone to watch the grounds around the clock,” Ladd said.

The recent nut heists appear well-organized and sophisticated.

The criminals use computers to track shipments and seem to know the market. Fall is the time when demand and prices are high and supply is still low before the remaining harvest, said Deputy Royjindar Singh, a spokesman for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

“It has to be someone who knows the market well,” he said.