This pecan season has seen growth in various areas but grower deliveries are through the roof as shellers and first handlers take advantage of decade low farm gate prices. 

 

The American Pecan Council’s latest report shows in the month of March growers delivered around 28 million pounds to first handlers, beating last March deliveries by about 8 million pounds. 

 

 

 

The months of November and December saw the largest spikes in deliveries from growers to first handlers at over 60 million and 73 million pounds respectively for the months. These deliveries were nearly double that of the prior year. 

 

So far this year grower deliveries are up 36.64% over last season, with 280,788,834 pounds having been delivered from September thru March with last season deliveries coming in at 205 million pounds for the same time period. 

 

The increased deliveries are good news to help move product off the market and further through the supply chain, however the farm gate pecan prices leave something to be desired. While consumption is up over last year and prices at the consumer levels are holding up well, handlers are taking advantage of the low farm gate prices and stocking up before the next harvest arrives. 

 

 

 

Many growers are still holding inventory waiting for a price recovery, and with China reentering the market, that price recovery is slowly happening. While not the high prices of 2010-2017, pecan prices are recovering and demand is continuing to grow here at home and abroad.