The Ins and Outs of the APC’s Voluntary Quality Assurance Program

Retailers’, buyers’, and consumers’ preferences are constantly evolving. These pressures come domestically and internationally as each country sets its own rules and regulations. Regarding international regulations, many countries—including Australia, Canada, and the European Union—have food safety and quality mandates for imported products.  One recent example of international regulations can be seen in the EU Commission’s…

The USDA-ARS, Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Station (SEFTNRS) in Byron, Georgia, was established over half a century ago on May 18, 1970. In this article, we present some of the many key accomplishments from the past 50 years and also a snapshot of current and future research. The SEFTNRS can point to many…

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The India Ministry of Finance has released its proposed 2023 Union Budget and updates to customs duties. Included is a 70% reduction in the import tariff for pecans, from 100% to 30%. This is a significant positive change for the pecan industry that opens the U.S. pecan export market to India. According to recent…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the American Pecan Promotion Board (APPB). Nominees are needed to fill six seats for members whose terms end on Sep. 30, 2023, and one vacant seat with a term that ends on Sep. 30, 2024. The American Pecan Promotion Board seeks nominees for the following…

Dear Readers, I am excited to announce the winner of our annual Harvest Photo Contest—“Dad’s Hands,” taken by Lindsay Holcomb. Lindsay entered this photo of her father Joe Thomas after harvest hoping to surprise him. “Harvesting pecans is something I grew up doing with my dad in Atoka and Bryan County, Oklahoma. We are probably…

We had so many fantastic entries for our 5th Annual Harvest Photo Contest that we couldn’t help but share them all with you. Participants were able to submit photos from October 15, 2022, to Jan. 11, 2023. The winning photo—featured at the top of this article—appeared on the cover of our February 2023 magazine. Thank you…

Pecan South February 2023 advertisers share their products and services between the pages of this issue. Below, we present a full list of our February 2023 advertisers and their contact information.

Although the calendar shows that we have just started a new year and it is still winter, you wouldn’t know it by the temperatures outside. High temperatures have been running in the 60s and 70s during the first few days of January, but old man winter isn’t done with us yet. With the harvest season…

“We are heartbroken to share the news of Carl Bissett’s passing,” Blair Krebs, Publisher of Pecan South, writes. “Carl was a constant presence in the pecan industry, leading Bissett Specialty Equipment and generously sharing his time with many of the families involved. I was lucky to have known Carl for my entire career, and among…

Pecan has been reported to form a symbiosis with ectomycorrhizal fungi, like truffles (Hanlin et al., 1989, Trappe et al., 1996, Benucci et al., 2012). Since Tuber lyonii ectomycorrhiza is commonly found in pecan orchards, it’s referred to as pecan truffles. Though there are many truffles native to the United States, the pecan truffle is…

The February 2023 Classifieds feature available equipment, property, trees, services, and more from industry members. These classifieds can also be viewed at the back of the February 2023 issue.

Pecans started marketing strong during the holiday season. In the December 2022 article, the American Pecan Promotion Board updated Pecan South readers on the upcoming campaigns taking place throughout the holiday season. Below are the results from those marketing campaigns carried out for pecans during the first quarter of the pecan industry’s current fiscal year,…

As we ponder the 2023 growing season, some serious concerns come to mind. Still, having said that, it is really nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to agriculture and the risks farmers take every year. Many times you have to wonder why they would do it. Reckon it is just something that gets…

Winter is a time of reflection on the past and our dreams for the future. In this pensive season, I’ve been spending time reviewing how different cultivars have been used throughout the history of the USDA Pecan Breeding and Genetics Program. As I look at which cultivars have been used for breeding improved pecans, three…

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reminds our nation’s farmers and ranchers that the deadline to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture is Feb. 6. Producers can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. Last month, NASS mailed the Census of Agriculture questionnaires to every known ag producer in the…

National Pecan Federation (NPF) Executive Board Member Marianne Brown recently attended a roundtable discussion with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai and U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA). Also attending was newly sworn-in USTR AG Ambassador Doug McKalip. At the event, Georgia commodity leaders were given the opportunity to voice their concerns and priorities as…

The U.S. Congress has passed the $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 consists of all 12 FY23 appropriation bills, including the $25.5 billion Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill. The bill includes the following pecan research projects supported by the National…

Submit your nominations for the American Pecan Promotion Board (APPB) now! Please reach out to the Board office at industry@eatpecans.com or call (817) 985-3034 if you would like to receive a nomination form. All nominations must be received or postmarked by Jan. 31, 2023. The following APPB seats are open for nominations: Western Region Seats…

The January 2023 Classifieds feature available equipment, property, trees, services, and more from industry members. These classifieds can also be viewed at the back of the January 2023 issue.

The pecan sector in Argentina is growing fast. However, this rapid growth of the industry (mainly due to an increase in planted area) is not yet fully accompanied by the massive adoption of new technologies, in part because many Argentine farmers are not yet completely sure about the applications of, for example, robotic devices such…

When industry members speak about pecans in Argentina, it’s impossible not to mention Alejandro Lavista Llanos, who is one of the people that began to write pecan’s history in the country. Alejandro Lavista Llanos has been an agronomist for 54 years and accumulated more than 36 years of experience in pecan production through his own…

Since its establishment in 1886, the State Fair of Texas has promoted Texas agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. At 24 consecutive days, the State Fair of Texas is the longest-running fair in the nation, as well as one of the largest. Through its rich and lengthy history, the…

While pecan orchards are dormant this winter, now is an excellent time to reflect on pest management practices used last season and what might be done differently next season to save time and money. Scouting for pests and acting only when necessary cannot be emphasized enough as a step that will save both. Yet a…

What’s the secret to growing the perfect pecan? Or, more importantly, what’s the management trick to producing high-quality pecans year after year?  For decades—if not centuries—pecan growers have sought answers to this complex question, and researchers have wrestled with uncovering the management practices that will lessen alternate bearing and bring the industry closer to producing…