In-shell pecan imports from Mexico into the US are up 17.51% as compared to last year same time period while shelled pecan imports are down 20.27% for the same time period resulting in a total import reduction when compared to the same time period last season.*

 

While farmgate pecan prices across the US are largely below profitable levels for growers, in-shell pecan imports are on the rise. But at least we now have the ability to assess the imports, a result that some APPB board members actually fought against prior to the boards formation. What a scenario American pecan growers have gotten themselves into. 

 

Pecan prices are not all depressing, retail pecans are performing well with demand on the rise, but as promised by some of our faithful leaders the benefits have yet to “trickle down” to the grower level. 

 

The new staff for the APC and APPB has been a promising step in the right direction in my opinion, but the board’s newfound secrecy I would argue is not a step in the right direction. The APC has moved to a more private method of operation with nearly no public meetings. In their defense they did hold a public meeting about a month ago which I attended, however I could not meaningfully engage in anything because I largely had no idea about anything they were very briefly discussing. 

 

I ask myself how the board expects to continue operations in this way. Every few years we elect new members who I would argue have less knowledge about what is going on than I do and I have very little knowledge about what the boards are doing and I actively attempt to keep up with what’s happening. So under these circumstances how can we expect newly elected board members to bring anything to the table when the boards operate with such secrecy. 

 

But that is just my humble opinion/observation. Even if fargate pecan prices were at profitable levels I would still argue that we are hurting ourselves with the lack of transparency by excluding the thousands of growers across the US who may have interest in the operations and who might have the next great idea that could help our industry grow faster and more profitably. We are smarter than me is a great read that uses case studies to back up the idea that large group decision making is always better and more accurate than even the smartest person.

 

*Source: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) as reported by USDA AMS Specialty Crops Market News.