The pecan is the only major tree nut native to North America.[Hudson Pecan] Its natural range spans the south-central United States down into Mexico, with its heartland in the river basins of the Mississippi valley and the American South and Southwest.[Wikipedia] Today, the US accounts for approximately 80 to 90 percent of global pecan production,[Cane River Pecan] with Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas standing as the top three producing states.[Molly & Me Pecans]

Pecans demand deep, well-drained soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.[OSU Extension] They need a long growing season of roughly 180 to 200 frost-free days to reach full maturity, conditions that make the American South and Southwest particularly well-suited to large-scale production.[NMSU] Successful cultivation is also a long game: trees typically begin bearing fruit between 6 and 10 years after planting.[UF/IFAS] A well-managed pecan tree can live and produce nuts for well over 100 years.[FoodPrint]

What happens after harvest is just as important as what happens in the orchard. Pecans are harvested mechanically. The trees are shaken and the fallen nuts are swept and collected from the ground.[Pecan South] From that point, speed and precision in handling are critical to preserving quality.

One of the first priorities is moisture management. Freshly harvested pecans can carry moisture levels as high as 25 to 30 percent, far too high for safe storage.[NMSU] They must be dried down to a moisture content of approximately 4 percent. Failure to hit this target creates conditions favorable for mold, discoloration, and oil breakdown, which can quickly degrade an entire lot.[NMSU]

Storage conditions are equally important. Pecans are best held at temperatures between 32 and 36 degrees Fahrenheit with low humidity.[UGA Pecan Extension] Under these conditions, in-shell pecans can maintain quality for up to 18 months, while shelled pecans stored in a freezer can remain market-ready for up to two years.[Millican Pecan] For processors and distributors, investing in proper cold storage is not a cost center. It is a quality assurance strategy that protects margin and reputation.

The global pecan market reached USD 2.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to continue growing steadily.[IMARC Group] For industry stakeholders, understanding the forces that drive demand and pricing is as important as managing the crop itself.

China has historically been the single largest export destination for US pecans. Between 2009 and 2017, China accounted for 34 percent of all US pecan exports.[MetLife Investments] This relationship has also introduced significant volatility. When the US-China trade dispute began in 2018, Chinese imports of US pecans fell by 65 percent year-over-year, sending farm-gate prices sharply lower.[Pecan Report] China has since returned as a leading buyer, underscoring both the opportunity and the risk of dependence on a single export market.[Pecan Report]

At the same time, global consumer interest in pecans as a premium health snack is opening new avenues in Europe, Southeast Asia, and beyond, with India and China showing some of the fastest demand growth.[Mordor Intelligence] On the competitive side, Mexico has grown into a formidable producing nation. By 2017, Mexico produced nearly half of the world’s total, comparable in volume to the US, and together both countries accounted for 93 percent of global production.[Wikipedia] This competition puts additional pressure on American producers to differentiate on quality and traceability rather than volume alone.

There are over 1,000 named pecan varieties,[Lane Southern Orchards] yet only a few dozen are grown at commercial scale. Choosing the right cultivar is one of the most consequential decisions a grower can make, as variety determines not only yield and nut size but also disease susceptibility, harvest timing, and ultimately, market value.

Breeding programs have become increasingly focused on developing varieties that combine strong nut quality with robust resistance to scab, the fungal disease that poses the greatest consistent threat to yield in humid growing regions. The USDA Pecan Breeding Program, which has been active for decades with breeding locations in Brownwood and College Station, Texas, continues to be a key source of new releases.[Wikipedia] Newer varieties from both USDA and University of Georgia programs, such as crosses involving Pawnee and Desirable, reflect this focus on combining early production, disease resistance, and high kernel quality.[Pearson Farm] For growers planning new plantings or orchard expansions, staying current with university extension recommendations and USDA variety trial results is an important part of long-term planning.