By Clint Thompson
A decreased crop combined with high prices highlighted this year’s pecan season in the Southeast. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension pecan specialist, believes production will rebound next year. Unfortunately, prices are expected to drop again just like 2020.
“I’m a little concerned we’re going to see issues that, if it’s a huge crop throughout the whole world where pecans are grown, then I think prices are going to be down again. They may start out pretty good, but I think we’ll see them drop pretty quick,” Wells said. “It just seems to be the nature of it no matter what we do.
“I do think the demand for pecans has increased. I think that’s why we were able to get rid of that 2020 crop before we got to harvest this year. Prices were able to start out high and just stayed there.”
Wells stated a week ago that he feared Georgia production would barely eclipse 50 million pounds this season, a year after the state produced 142 million pounds in 2020. Alabama production suffered as well. Both states were hit hard by pecans’ alternate bearing cycle and by Hurricane Michael’s aftermath in 2018.
According to UGA, alternate bearing occurs in almost all tree-fruit crops. It is most severe, however, in pecans. The crop has a tendency to produce a large crop one year followed by little or zero crop the following season.