Fall is just around the corner and at least on our farm the most anticipated time of year approaches with it, pecan harvest. After shaking off a portion of our Shoshoni, we still monitor for scab and aphids in the orchards but we have basically hit the short rows at that point. 

 

There are quite a few acres of Pawnee pecans in our region of the US and this variety typically kicks off the pecan harvest in our area. The pecan in the header image is of a Pawnee on our farm here in south Georgia on Friday of last week. 

 

As you can see the Pawnee variety is nearly done ripening and will soon begin to open up ready for harvest. A shoshoni pecan from the same day can be seen here for comparison as to what stages each are in. The shoshoni are slightly behind but are filling out well. Soon we will be harvesting in the Pawnee orchards followed quickly by the rest of our varieties. 

 

The wholesale market for pecans is still bullish with lower inventories heading into harvest this year. Pecan prices on the farm have held up quite well this year as compared to prior years as inventories have been trending lower forcing buyers to increase prices in order to secure needed pecan stocks. 

As the newly formed APPB gets its footing, marketing for pecans will hopefully resume at a more aggressive pace and we will again see demand pushing higher. Last season saw record high demand which has contributed to the shorter inventories for this season. With August coming to an end we will soon see just how the shipping season finished off, but is currently expected to be lower than last year’s record highs.