By Clint Thompson
India’s flirtation with U.S. pecans is a potential win for Georgia producers. One grower is optimistic that it could become a future home for much of the state’s exported pecans.
“One, a nut fits into their diet very well. A lot of that population is vegetarian. They eat a high protein nut-based diet already,” said Justin Jones. “Cashews, pistachios, almonds, they’re already there. They don’t know what a pecan is, so we’re going to try to ease in there and try to get into that market. I think from a geopolitical standpoint, we fit well with India. Those are all positives.”
Jones’ optimism stems from a recent reverse trade mission that the American Pecan Council (APC) hosted with Indian nut importers in key growing regions, like Georgia, a few months ago. The mission provided importers an up-close, informative look at the U.S. pecan industry and how pecans can serve as a nutritious product for Indian consumers.
“My take from when those processors came to Georgia back in December was, they were genuinely excited about our product. They knew about pecans. They were just not educated to know how well they were, nutritional,” Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover there, but it’s positive. This could be really big.”
Jones, who also serves as the Eastern grower rep for American Pecan Council (APC) and chair of industry relations committee for APC, planned a trip to India in April to help continue the education process of U.S. pecans.
India’s viability as a pecan export destination also hinges on the tariffs being further reduced. It announced in 2023 that tariffs would be reduced by 70%.