Pecans big but few this year, Oklahoma growers say
In northeast Oklahoma, many growers say a string of drought years has their trees hurting and that they don't expect big harvests, even though the pecans coming off the trees are plump and ripe. This part of the state is better than the rest, they say, but nothing to brag about.
Oklahoma was the nation's fourth largest pecan producer in 2012, with 25 million pounds. That brought about $24.7 million to growers and harvesters.
Harvesters in northeastern Oklahoma say trees are producing fewer pecans this year. "They say we aren't in a drought anymore, but if you go down to the subsoil, we're still dry," said Martin Mount, a grower and harvester in Beggs. "But the quality is probably the best I've ever seen."
Well-timed rains in spring and summer helped the pecan blossoms. "Nearly every flower we had on a tree produced a good nut," Mount said. "It's too bad we didn't have more of them.
Prices for pecans have continued to rise in recent years due to increases in demand from places like China, which has developed a liking for the sweet and woody nuts. But thanks to a big harvest nationwide in 2012, distributors have a huge storage volume. Since the nuts tend to keep well for long periods in cold storage, that's dampening prices this year.
Source: tulsaworld.com
