The southeastern US pecan crop is shaping up, and reports are mixed as to the size and quality of the crop in the area.
Last year hurricane Micheal destroyed roughly half of the 2018-2019 pecan crop when the CAT 4 hurricane blew through the southeast in Early October, just before pecan harvest was to begin. The long term damage is now being seen a little more clearly as this years crop begins to come into focus.
Opinions of the pecan crop in this area are a mixed bag, some growers say that some varieties such as cape fear and pawnee have weathered the storm better than others. While some farms have a mediocre crop across all varieties. Even more interesting are farms that were not directly in the path of the hurricane and that may not have sustained significant tree loss, are now seeing the results of the high winds and the damage done to last years growth. While the areas affected by the storm have a less than stellar crop, other parts of Georgia, and the Carolinas look to have good crop this year, with the nuts sizing up well. However, when looking at the southeastern crop as a whole, the crop is expected to be significantly off. This is due largely to the fact that the majority of the southeastern crop comes from the areas most affected by last years, hurricane Micheal. Scab pressure has been average for this time of year and is now starting to increase as the humidity hovers between 40 and 80 percent with a perpetual 30% chance of showers. Growers in this area with good quality pecans at harvest this year should expect to sell them for a premium. With around half of last years crop taken from the market, retailers will be eager to get their hands on mammoth pecans.