By Clint Thompson
The approved referendum for the Georgia Pecan Commission will help further the state’s status as a leader in pecan production.
Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, explains why the referendum passing at 82.7% is a win for Georgia’s industry.
“The pecan industry, compared to most other crops, we are still in the dark ages as far as what we know about this crop; the biology of it, how to manage it, ways to improve it. We still have a long way to go,” Wells said. “The commodity commission’s funding certainly helps us to be able to add to the knowledge we have about pecans and move that forward.”
The pecan assessment is one cent per pound and funds activities of the Georgia Pecan Commission. The assessment supports research and marketing activities for the benefit of the state’s producers. Wells and colleagues at the University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service conduct research related to production practices, disease and insect management, variety development and water management.
“It’s an exciting time for the pecan industry. It’s a little bit of a nerve-wracking time because prices are so low and costs are so high. But there’s also still a lot of potential out there for pecans, because a lot of people don’t know about pecans and getting the word out about that on the marketing side, the commodity commission can certainly help a lot with that,” Wells said. “Getting out there and helping growers is what we do, and we can’t do it without the funding to make our programs viable.”
The assessment is applicable to farmers with at least 30 acres of pecans in Georgia.