By Clint Thompson
China’s presence as an export destination for U.S. pecans is a thing of the past. Southeast (SE) producers should not rely on China continuing to import substantial amounts of pecans, says Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist.
“From this point on, I would not count on China anymore. We may see years where they come in and buy some which would be great. It’s not something I feel like that we as an industry need to be relying on,” Wells said.
China has become more unreliable due to advancements it has made in its own pecan production. Wells said China could be producing its own crop by 2026. As it produces more pecans, that is less that it will need to import from other countries like the U.S.
“We know that they’ve been planting. It’s hard to get good information out of there. We know that they’ve been planting,” Wells said. “Some pictures of orchards that I’ve seen over there look great. Some look not so great. But again, who knows how much acreage they have to devote to something like pecans?
“That’s the rumors are that we’re hearing, that they’ll be able to produce their own pecans by 2026.”
Pecan production in China would have a trickle effect on the U.S. Wells said growers can expect an increase in pecan imports from South Africa if China is able to sustain its own production.
“We’re the largest consumer of pecans in the world. South Africa, their main customer at the moment is China. But if China goes away from them, then we would be the likely target for those nuts,” Wells said.