Pecan Producers- Challenges in 2025

Pecan growers in  New Mexico need your help.  IF YOU LIKE PECAN PRODUCTS, YOU BETTER PAY ATTENTION!

The recent years have brought many challenges to small agriculture businesses, pecan farmers included.

Chaves SWCD District Manager, Jennifer Pierce, spoke to a number of producers who listed out the challenges that are currently causing a lot of heartburn for their operations. Below you will find a summary of the information gathered.

1) Water permitting has been a huge challenge! The process of applying for water rights through the Office of the State Engineer seems to get longer and more tedious with each passing month. Once the application process has started, it seems to be months and months before anyone actually gets in touch with you. There are no greater conservationists than those in agriculture in the desert! Our producers strive to use our precious water as wisely as possible, and seem to face more and more challenges trying to do so. Not to mention there are many companies out there who are NOT conserving our precious water sources.

https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title21/21.017.0028.html

Not to mention that now, agriculture producers who are conserving their water resources are now at risk of losing some of their water rights?! Are we now facing a use it or lose it world?! Many producers believe this to be an issue that could be coming down the pipes. Is this truth, or a miscommunication?

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0185.HTML 

*** Fun fact, did you know the “green energy” wind turbines require 300 cubic yards of concrete per wind turbine. That is roughly 10,500 GALLONS of water per wind turbine.

https://www.windsystemsmag.com/cutting-the-concrete/#:~:text=Current%20wind%2Dturbine%20tower%20installation,a%20turbine%20tower%20is%20decommissioned.

2) Pesticides, knowing what to use and when to use it. Pecan farmers are no longer able to utilize dry manure to fertilize their crops. Now they are facing the challenge of finding the right chemistry combinations to increase the crop productivity, and also find the right timing to administer pest deterring chemicals to best prevent pest related loss on their crops. Chemistry and application timing are KEY!

https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title21/21.017.0028.html

3) Quarantine and Exporting issues have been one of the biggest struggles in the industry. There is a little pest known as the Pecan Weevil that has cost producers time, and money on their operations. Pecan producers have been doing everything that they can to prevent the spread of this little pest, and so far it seems to be working. HOWEVER urban growers are not being held to the same standard, and commercial growers are the ones who are taking a beating for it. Currently the yard/ urban hobby growers have the pecan weevils and instead of those urban back yard growers being held responsible, the commercial operations are now under quarantine and are unable to export their pecans where they choose. They are also being forced to utilize a freezing system which adds to their costs including transportation and storage fees. Why are we punishing our commercial operators who have clean operations when the quarantine should on those yard farmers who do have this pest problem.

https://www.srca.nm.gov/nmac/nmregister/xxxiii/DOAnotice_xxxiii07.html#:~:text=New%20Mexico%20Register%20/%20Volume%20XXXIII%2C%20Issue,amend%2021.17.36%20NMAC%2C%20PECAN%20WEEVIL%20INTERIOR%20QUARANTINE.  

4) Labor, FMLA and Workman’s Compensation are slowly,  and quickly in some cases, causing our small commercial pecan growers and agriculture businesses alike, to start closing their doors. Finding workers to do hard labor to begin with is a challenge on its own, now our government is mandating that these small ag businesses have to provide workman’s compensation, sick days (at least 1 hour per pay period) AND Family Medical Leave Act. This means they are still having to provide employment to someone who is NOT there to do their job. What happened to businesses providing these benefits competitively, vs the government now requiring said compensation.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0011.pdf

5) NMDA regulations are now up for a change. In years past there has been a freezer system implemented to preserve pecans. Pecans are frozen to the required temperature for the exact amount time required and they go on about their process. NMDA is now considering an updated freezer system, to a continuously monitored system which would either be a hardwired or a Wi-Fi enabled system. This will cost operators thousands of dollars to change over and can take up to a year to implement. Why are NMDA officials trying to change something that doesn’t need to be updated, especially to something that runs off of internet/ wi-fi. In our rural communities, the internet can go out at any given moment. Pecan growers are not thrilled about this update and believe it should be on a voluntary basis.

https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title21/21.017.0028.html

6) Last but certainly not least, the Marketing challenges at hand have been disheartening to all producers. All of the information above contribute to the marketing of the final product. If water permitting is cut, that reduces the marketable value of the pecan. If the right pesticides and fertilizer chemical compounds ( whose prices continue to climb) are not administered at the right time, that will affect the market value and profitability of the pecan. If the quarantine and exporting process is not corrected, that will continue to effect the market value and narrow the profit of the pecan. Labor costs, and “benefits” now being required, further hurts the market value and profitability of the pecan. If NMDA decides to change how they want to freeze and store pecans every couple of years and mandates that pecan growers abide to their rules, this will continue to hurt the market value and profitability of the pecan.

There are undoubtably more issues that pecan growers not only in New Mexico, but across our great country, are facing.

How can we help our family owned and operated agriculture businesses?

What assistance can you think of that will lighten the burdens that these producers are facing?

While you fight in Santa Fe, setting the pace for operators in this state, think about this information. Think about how YOU can help keep agriculture alive in New Mexico.

Support your local businesses, and stay NM TRUE.

 

We would like to extend gratitude to our sponsors at Ag Fest. Alien Pecan, Normex and Southern Roots.  Thank you so much for your generosity and for all you do for the pecan industry!

– Jennifer Pierce

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