By Malinda Geisler, content specialist, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Iowa State University.
 
Revised May 2012.
 

Overview
Pecans are regarded as the most important commercial nut crop grown in the eastern United States. Unlike other nut crops, pecans are grown throughout the southern United States. Top production states include Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma. The 2011 U.S. crop was 271.4 million pounds and valued at $683 million. Commercial production is reported in 13 states. The United States produces more than 80 percent of the world’s pecans.

According to the 2008 Organic Production Survey (NASS 2010), the United States had 46 farms certified for organic pecan production. Those farms raised 1.3 million pounds of pecans. There were 45 farms reporting sales totaling $2.3 million.

Pecan consumption averages 0.45 pound per capita. Of tree nut consumption, pecans rank third behind almonds and English walnuts.

In 2011, the United States exported 36,596 metric tons (MT) of unshelled, or in-shell, pecans valued at $192.8 million. The top buyer of U.S. in-shell pecans was Hong Kong. The United States also exported 17,817 MT of shelled pecans valued at $186.5 million. The top buyer of shelled pecans was Canada. 

The United States imported 23,297 in-shell pecans valued at $101 million in 2011. Shelled pecan imports were 20,445 MT valued at $176.7 million in 2011. Most pecan imports, both in shell and shelled varieties, originate from Mexico.


Sources
Global Agricultural Trade System, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA.

Noncitrus Fruits & Nuts, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), USDA.

Pecans: The Native Tree Nut, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA, 2003 -  This five-page report provides an overview of U.S. pecan production, consumption, usage and exports.

2008 Organic Production Survey, NASS, USDA, 2010.

U.S. per capita food availability, ERS, USDA.
 

Marketing

• Economic Importance of the Pecan Industry, New Mexico State University, 2000 - This link provides an overview of U.S. pecan production and prices.
• Fruit and Tree Nuts, ERS, USDA.
• International Trade in Pecans, New Mexico State University, 2005 - This document reviews trade between the world's number one pecan producer, the United States, and the number two, Mexico.
• International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) - The tree nut industry is a worldwide industry with production in more than 30 countries and consumption in more than 100 countries. The INC's mission is to endorse activities that provide its membership new opportunities for increasing global consumption of almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.
• Marketing Channels for Pecans, New Mexico State University, 2003 - This document reviews production and distribution, tree nut consumption and pricing.
• National Pecan Shellers Association - This nonprofit association promotes the use and nutrition of U.S. pecans.
• Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc. - Experts on pecans may be located by selecting the pecans box on this link.
• Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association - To provide a common forum for the processors and manufacturers of peanuts, tree nuts and related products, and the suppliers of goods and services, in order to further the advancement of the industry.
• Tree Nuts, FAS, USDA.
• U.S. Pecan Consumer Profile Results from National Survey, University of Georgia, 2007 - This paper looks at the buying habits and demographics of pecan consumers.

Production

• Center for Agroforestry, University of Missouri - This center is a national leader in development of specialty crops for alternative income sources on the family farm including northern pecans.
• Establishing a Pecan Orchard, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. This online guide outlines orchard design, planting, irrigation and fertilization.
• Fundamentals of Pecan Management, Oklahoma State University - This is an online self-study course for producers seeking to improve their pecan management program. It includes sections on variety management, pests, storage, marketing and equipment.
• Home Fruit Production-Pecans, Texas A&M University Extension - This online bulletin reviews site selection, variety selection, pruning, harvesting and frequently asked questions.
• Pecan, Integrated Pest Management Guidelines, University of California, Davis.
• Pecan Pests, Integrated Pest Management, Oklahoma State University - Digital diagnostics for pecan insects and diseases.
• Pecan Publications, University of Georgia - This link includes an insect guide and disease guide.
• Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Pecans, University of California Cooperative Extension, 2005 - This research study uses a hypothetical pecan farm to illustrate production costs and returns.
• Sustainable Pecan Production, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), NCAT, 2000 - This guide provides sustainable and organic production information.

Businesses/Case Studies

• B & B Pecan Company, Fairhope, Alabama - This company started in 1956 as a mail order business. The online store offers several products including corporate gifts.
• Delta Pecan Orchard, Tutwiler, Mississippi - This family-owned orchard, located in the Mississippi Delta, has its own shelling facility. Delta Pecan sells gifts and makes pecans available for fundraisers.
• Heartland Nuts 'N More, Valparaiso, Nebraska - This cooperative consists of 44 native black walnut and pecan growers from Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. Founded in 2003, the co-op purchases products from its members, then processes and bags the nuts to be sold nationwide.
• Kight’s Pecan Orchard, University of Kentucky, 2005 - This case study explains how a Kevil, Kentucky, grower developed the only large-scale commercial pecan operation in his state.

Links checked May 2012.