Pecans: a case study

Scott Clark

My Story…• My pecan farm is in Northern

NSW – 5,000 trees

• President Australian Pecan Association (APA) for the last 10 years

• Seeing rapid growth in the industry…

• The industry is taking off!

Growth of pecan industry…• Estimates of at least

doubling the number of trees in the ground over the next 5 years

• Will take pecan production in Australia from the current 2,000 – 3,000 tonnes of NIS to over 6,000 tonne of NIS

Production areas…• The majority produced by Stahmann

Farms under irrigation in the Gwydir Valley, east of Moree in northern inland NSW

• Smaller scale production extends all the way up the NSW coast from the Hunter Valley in the south to Tweed Heads in the north.

• Pecans are also grown in Central Queensland around the Burnett region and south to the NSW border.

• Small plantings also in SA & WA.

The tough nut…• Pecans are very hardy

• They thrive in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.

• Their native habitat is the Mississippi River Delta in the USA

• They are extremely long-lived and remain highly productive for more than a century, making them a genuine long-term investment.

Pecan growing requirements…• 400 Chill Units (<7 Celsius )

• 1500+ Heat Units (max + min /2)-13

• 180 Freeze Free Days ( min >-4 Celsius)

• 1300mm of rainfall year

• 60 – 125 mm /week per hectare during critical nut development (Sept – Feb)

Soil requirements for growing pecans…• Pecans grow best in alluvial soils that

are deep and well drained.

• Pecan trees can be grown on any soil that allows water penetration to a depth of 2m.

• Water should be able to move down through the soil at a reasonable rate and the soil should not have any layers which would prevent water from draining downward.

• Pecans have a low tolerance of salt in soils, groundwater or irrigation water.

Stages of nut development…• June-August : Dormancy

• September : Bud break

• October : Pollination

• November – January : “Water Stage”

• January – February : Shell Hardening

Stages of nut development…• February – April: Kernel development

• April: Shuck split

• April - June: Harvest

Pecan yields…• Pecans varieties start bearing at different ages

• Precocious varieties tend to start setting nuts in year 4-5.

Generally yields are:

• Year 5 – 1-2 kg per tree

• Year 6 – 2-4 kg per tree

• Year 7 – 6-8 kg per tree

• Year 8 – 10-12 kg per tree

• Year 10 – 15 kg per tree

• Year 15 – 15-20 kg per tree

• On 10m x 5m spacing the trees should be at maximum yield by year 15.

• Maximum yield on good fertile ground properly shaped and hedged yields of up to 4000kg/Ha are possible.

• 3 Tonnes / Ha are the standard in the USA.

• Current Australian average is approx. 2-2.5 tonnes /Ha

Clean & green…• Australia is very lucky in not having

any of the major pecan pest & diseases found in other countries

• Australia produces the cleanest greenest pecans in the world

• Majority of pecans produced in Australia are done so without the use of chemicals

• Major advantage of Australian pecans

Focused on quality…• Australian pecan growers

focused on producing top quality product

• Industry developing best practice guidelines

• Biggest producer StahmannFarms operates a world class processing facility focused on quality.

Markets…• The bulk of Australian production is

sold as kernel for domestic consumption with distribution split between retail and manufacturing channels.

• Stahmann Farms operates Australia’s largest pecan processing plant in Toowoomba, Qld from which it supplies in-shell and kernel products to domestic and international markets.

• Other smaller processors supply mostly local markets.

Markets…• Pecans constitute less than 5% of

world tree nut trade

• Their consumption is still mainly concentrated in the US, where they are a native nut. However, demand in Asia, Europe and the Middle East is growing.

• The pecan market has been strong in recent years, especially since the entry of China to the world market in the early 2000s.

Pecans - at the heart of healthy living…• Like all tree nuts, pecans have

many, many marketable health benefits…

• Pecans exceptionally high level of antioxidants (one of the highest of all natural food products) is most noteworthy.

• The ANIC Nuts for Life campaign continues to play an important role in bringing such benefits to the attention of Australian consumers & health professionals.

Follow us on social…• Australian Pecan Association –

group page. Don’t have to be a member to join. Our industry page all are welcome…just no advertising! Good place to share information, ask questions of growers etc.

• Australian Pecans – our consumer page. For pecan recipes, sharing Nuts for Life health & nutrition information and other consumer oriented content.

Thank you…questions?