02/05/2021
We love pecans!
Fun facts about pecans! From Texas Pecan Growers Association 🧐
"Pecans are actually grown in almost every area of Texas with larger clusters here and there. Given they are a native tree to the U.S., and Texas, they have been pretty adaptable to most areas of the southern half of the U.S.. However, the highest production region in Texas is in El Paso County. Not what most people would think, but there has been a large amount of growth in recent years from West Texas all the way to Arizona.
In Texas, harvest ranges from September through January, depending on location and variety. There are both Native and Improved variety pecans with around 1,000 varieties of pecans, many currently used are from the USDA-ARS breeding program and named after Native American groups to honor that native heritage. Texas, New Mexico, and Georgia are currently the top 3 producers, but there are 15 states that are considered in the production region.
Culturally speaking, pecans are a truly Texas symbol. It is the state tree, state nut, and state pie. Our association is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year.
Recent years have shown growth in the market. Around 2007/2008 the Chinese developed a taste for pecans and the market went crazy. However, the tariffs put in place hit the pecan market hard, so we are still recovering from that. In 2016 the industry approved a Federal Marketing order and in January of this year the industry also approved a Research and Promotion board for pecans. The first time an industry has had an FMO and R&P."
-Blair Krebs, executive director
Neat, eh?