Pecans: a case study Scott Clark My Story My pecan farm is in - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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

• f trees in the ground
• ver 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

• f 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 Stahmann

Farms 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

• riented content.

Thank you…questions?