Torrential rains this year have impacted farmers across the Southeast. Vegetable farmers are unable to get in the fields to apply plastic in preparation for the upcoming season. One commodity group that could also feel the sting of excessive rainfall this winter are pecan producers. While trees are currently dormant, their production could be affected this year and years to …
Liking Lakota: Pecan Variety Generates Interest in UGA Trial
One pecan variety could be a valuable option for producers seeking a low-cost input variety to plant. Lakota is a low-input variety where producers don’t have to spray much to manage it throughout the season. It has thrived in research trials on the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton campus, according to UGA Cooperative Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells. “The yields …
Costs Cutting Essential for Pecan Producers
It’s a matter of survival for pecan producers. After a season in which prices were drastically low, farmers need to cut costs, not corners. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist, emphasizes the importance of reducing input costs, starting with lime applications. “Of course, we know orchard soils need to be around 6 to 6.5; that’s where your …
Looking Ahead: How to Compensate for Low Pecan Prices?
As disappointing and disheartening last year’s pecan season was for Southeast producers, 2021 has the potential to be worse – if producers don’t take action or if prices don’t improve. It was a bountiful crop for Georgia with yields projected at 135 million pounds. But considering that pecan trees are alternate bearing (if they produce a good crop one year, …
Breaking Ground: UGA Establishes New Pecan Research and Demo Plot
The University of Georgia (UGA) broke ground on Wednesday at the UGA Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center for a new 5-acre pecan research and demonstration plot. The planted trees will highlight research that focuses on new and current varieties and be used as a location for producer demonstrations as well as other research projects. Virtual Production Meeting The University …
Poor Pecan Season Worse for Some Growers
A difficult pecan season was challenging for all and painful for a few. Some farmers compensated for the extremely low prices that lingered all season with bountiful harvests. However, some producers were not as fortunate. They either had a short crop or marginal crop that were amplified by some of the lowest prices producers haven’t experienced in decades. Georgia pecan …
Be on Alert: Pecan Producers Watch Out for Ambrosia Beetles
According to the University of Georgia Extension Pecan blog, now is the time of year where producers need to be wary of ambrosia beetles. This is especially important for farmers with trees that are less than 5 years old. Winter rains mean some trees are prone to flooded conditions, where they are susceptible to ambrosia beetle attacks. Angel Acebes-Doria, University …
Georgia Pecan Production Season Best Since 2007
Georgia pecan producers enjoyed a banner production season, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Georgia, which accounts for 47% of the nation’s pecan production, showed a 23% increase in value of production for 2020. Georgia produced 142 million pounds, compared to just 73 million in 2019 and 70 million in 2018. Those two years were down because of …
Georgia Pecan Producer: Cautiously Optimistic About Future Market Prices
One South Georgia pecan producer is cautiously optimistic farmers will soon experience an increase in market prices. Coming off a season where pecan yields were the best in years and prices were the worst in some time, growers like Randy Hudson are hopeful prices will soon rebound. “The old saying about the cure for low prices is low prices. The …
Export Markets Remain Key for Southeast Pecan Producers
With the 2020 pecan season in the books, growers in the Southeast are looking to write a new chapter in 2021, one they hope will have a better ending. The story of this past season’s crop centered on devastatingly low prices and low morale among farmers still trying to recover from Hurricane Michael in 2018. The biggest question remains, what …