В Техасе прогнозируют рекордный урожай грецких орехов в 2026 году, несмотря на засуху и вредителей

Texas pecan growers are expecting a larger crop in 2026, although dry and hot weather during kernel fill, along with disease and insect pressure, could affect yields and quality, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service pecan specialist Monte Nesbitt. The Tri-State Pecan Growers Association estimated the Texas crop at around 42 million pounds, while Nesbitt estimated output at approximately 39 million pounds, compared with 32 million pounds last year. Wholesale prices for the 2025 crop improved at times compared with 2023 and 2024. Some lots exceeded US$2 per pound and approached US$3 per pound during the first quarter of 2026. Prices for the new crop will depend partly on early harvest volumes and kernel quality in Georgia, Louisiana, and East Texas. A wet spring in North, East, and Central Texas reduced irrigation requirements but increased disease pressure. Growers reported pecan scab, downy spot, and powdery mildew. Conditions subsequently became hot and dry as trees entered kernel fill, which runs from August into September and is a period of high water demand. "The dry weather we're having now is impacting the development of kernel," Nesbitt said. "Shriveled, malformed kernels can hide inside normal-looking shells." Growers with access to irrigation are better positioned to complete kernel development, while orchards without sufficient water face more uncertainty. Pecan nut casebearer pressure was also above normal this season. Larvae can damage the crop by burrowing into nuts and feeding on the kernel. Higher diesel, gasoline, fertilizer, spraying, disease management, and pest control costs are also putting pressure on grower margins. Nesbitt expects retail pecan prices to increase slightly alongside broader food inflation.