Fall in Texas is synonymous with the sweet taste of pecans, be it in pies, cookies, or by themselves. And although it may be early in the season, pecan sellers have already begun to set up stands along Central Texas roads.
This year’s early winter freezes, in addition to the ongoing drought, will undoubtedly have some effect on the season’s production rates. But because Texas is large and areas that grow pecans experienced varied weather, the Texas Pecan Growers Association says buyers should expect prices to be about the same this year as last year.
“The crop is not really low. When the crop is really low, the prices usually go much higher, but because there is a decent crop in Texas, they shouldn’t go too high," TPGA Associate Director of Sales and Marketing Blair Krebs said.
However, it may be too early to tell. Pecan trees usually ripen during the seven-week period between October and the first week of December. According to Krebs, Texas is estimated to produce 60 to 65 million pounds of pecans this year.
But there is certainly not a pecan shortage looming. If this year’s weather brings production down significantly, there are plenty of pecans left in cold storage from last year’s batch. Pecans can be stored for up to two years.
Texas is one of the top three pecan-producing states in the country, along with New Mexico and Georgia.
