Pecan harvest across the Northern Hemisphere is now more than half complete with growers from the east coast to the west coast reporting great quality for this year’s harvest. The pecan industry began pecan harvest on the east coast with Georgia pecan growers kicking off the harvest season with their Pawnee and other early varieties.
Northern Mexico also began harvest shortly after Georgia growers with their early harvest young Wichita in the Hermosillo area, and also the native crop. Georgia growers have been harvesting since late September. The early variety pecans ripen in Georgia first and then move west across the southern US.
The western US pecan growers have entered the full swing of harvest and are reporting very good quality on nearly all the varieties. A good harvest has been hard to come by for some growers over the past couple of years with severe weather damaging massive amounts of orchards. Coastal growers in Alabama lost their entire crop this year due to severe weather pouring in from the Gulf of Mexico this season.
The pecan harvest is more than half complete for the season, and while wholesale prices have fallen for the harvest season, retail has been booming. Many retail outlets have reported strong and increasing demand for fresh pecans.
The American Pecan Council has been working round the clock with social media influencers, and global marketing powerhouse Weber Shandwick to improve the visibility of pecans in consumers minds.
Pecans have been thought of as only a holiday nut, consumed in pies and around Thanksgiving and Christmas for decades. Now the APC (American Pecan Council) is changing consumers’ perception of the pecan by showcasing the versatility of the nut along with the many health benefits of consuming pecans. Several health studies have been funded and are underway currently.
As growers continue to work long hours in the orchards to finish this seasons pecan harvest. Work will continue in the cleaning and shelling plants to sort and package pecans for consumption. This harvest season has been moving relatively well and growers have largely been pleased with the overall progress and quality of this year’s crop.