January pecan receipts jump 25%, inventories turn higher
January pecan receipts rose 25% as inventories moved above last year. See what the latest data says about demand and prices.
January handler data showed a sharp shift in the U.S. pecan market, with receipts surging and inventories moving above year-ago levels, according to the latest report from the American Pecan Council.
Handler-reported receipts totaled 73.4 million pounds in January, up 25% from the same month a year earlier and the largest January since the marketing order began. Marketing year-to-date receipts reached 180 million pounds, bringing volumes back in line with the five-year average after trailing earlier in the season.
The increase appears tied to a strong Western harvest. While one month does not establish a trend, the January jump marks a notable departure from prior months, the report said.
Inventories also shifted higher. Handler-reported stocks totaled 205.3 million pounds in January, up 5% year over year. The change was driven primarily by in-shell inventories.
Data from USDA cold storage also showed higher shelled inventories compared with last year, though USDA figures continue to differ from handler-reported totals because of methodology and modeled estimates. Despite the increase in stocks, more pecans remain committed than currently held in inventory, according to the report.
On the demand side, domestic shipments weakened. Handler-reported domestic deliveries fell 41% year over year in January to 16 million pounds, with in-shell shipments dropping sharply and shelled shipments declining 17%. Estimated domestic utilization for December was down about 20%.
Exports showed signs of stabilizing. U.S. Census data indicated exports were down 6% year over year in January — an improvement compared with the 38% decline seen over the course of the 2024-25 marketing year. December trade data was delayed because of a lapse in federal funding in late 2025.
Imports continued to trend lower. U.S. imports of shelled pecans fell 38% in December, pushing total imports to multi-year lows. Meanwhile, Mexican pecan exports to Europe reached a record in calendar year 2025.
Despite softer fundamentals, prices have strengthened. The average export unit value for U.S. shelled pecans reached $5.43 per pound, the highest level since December 2018, supported in part by firmer Mexican prices and steady demand from key markets including Canada, Israel, the E.U. and South Korea.
The marketing year for pecans runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31.