Aug 11, 2023Higher U.S. pecan production forecast, major states to see declines
Pecan production for 2023 is expected to increase overall, from 307 million pounds in 2022 to 322 million pounds in 2023.
While overall production is predicted to rise, production in two of the four major producing states – Georgia and Arizona – is pegged to decline slightly.
The information comes from industry estimates.
Georgia, which constitutes the largest U.S. production, is expected to decline from 125 million pounds to 110 million pounds while in New Mexico, the second leading producing state, production should increase from 70 million pounds to 90 million pounds.
Texas’ volume is predicted to remain the same at 38 million pounds while Arizona’s declines from 34 million pounds in 2022 to 32 million pounds this year.
In Oklahoma, the fifth leading pecan producing state, production is forecast at 22 million pounds, up from last year’s 16 million pounds.
The other states, which include, in order, Louisiana, Florida/North Carolina/South Carolina, Arkansas, California and Mississippi, all produce in the single digits, with production increasing in Arkansas, Florida/North Carolina/South Carolina, Kansas/Missouri and Louisiana.
The estimates originated from the 2023 TriState ArkLaTex Pecanference in Jackson, Mississippi, in June. The forecast was highlighted in a state pecan growers’ associations August email newsletter.
During the convention, the Ben Littlepage Memorial Pecan Prognostication forecasts state production. Charlie Graham, senior pecan specialist with the Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, presented the numbers.
Littlepage, a major pecan industry figure who died in 2018, was a Louisiana grower and president of the Federated Pecan Growers Association who promoted large USDA funding increases for pecan research, according to Pecan South Magazine, published by the Texas Pecan Growers Association.
