Pecans: slow start to season in EU
December 2, 2024 at 11:48 AM ,
Der AUDITOR
EU imports down
EU imports witnessed a 13% downturn in terms of volume since the current US export season started. In terms of value imports have declined by 18%, from EUR 32.340 million (USD 339.554 million) in 2023 to EUR 26.621 million (USD 27.950 million) in 2024.
Shipments from the US may have declined by 8%, yet the country accounts for 63% of the EU’s total import volume. Mexico is, by contrast, displaying a sharp 36% decline, whereas imports from South Africa and Argentina have more than doubled. The Netherlands are the main EU importing member state and account for 46% (1,340 mt) of the bloc’s total imports. Germany is next line with 18% (511 mt), followed by Spain with 15% (430 mt).
|
EU pecan imports (kg) |
|||
|
Country |
2023 |
2024 |
Diff. |
|
USA |
1,995,678 |
1,836,234 |
-8.0% |
|
Mexico |
1,202,351 |
770,028 |
-36.0% |
|
South Africa |
95,189 |
227,227 |
138.7% |
|
Argentina |
14,400 |
35,705 |
148.6% |
|
Peru |
34,002 |
34,574 |
1.7% |
|
China |
- |
643 |
- |
|
EU |
829 |
596 |
-28.1% |
|
Lebanon |
1,001 |
60 |
-96.0% |
|
UAE |
- |
65 |
- |
|
Kenya |
6 |
17 |
183.3% |
|
Others |
31,020 |
22 |
-99.9% |
|
Total |
3,374,476 |
2,905,171 |
-13.1% |
|
DG Taxud’s Customs Surveillance system, provisional data, 02/09-30/11 |
|||
Severe damage due to Hurricane Helene in the US
According to reports Hurricane Helene, which hit the US at the end of September, affected a third of the acreage on which pecans are grown in Georgia and created severe damages. Preliminary estimates at the start of the November stated that 75% had been lost in the affected areas amounting to around 36 million pounds. As Georgia is the biggest US producing state this will certainly have a direct impact on US output.
As the October Position Report issued by the American Pecan Council (APC) shows total pecans received slumped by 60% to 22.141 million pounds in the first two months of the season as compared with the 55.467 million pounds registered in the same period in 2023/2024. Harvesting will, however, continue until the end of December and as the USDA reports there is a wide range in quality in most producing states. Apart from this, trading was subdued last week due to Thanksgiving.
Water is an issue in Mexico
In Mexico, the world’s leading producing country, water is an issue as the northern parts of the country remain in the grip of a severe and prolonged drought lasting several years as reports highlight. Dams do not hold nearly enough water for irrigation or to sustain production in 2025. This year is also an off-year. Another issue is that many small producers have little incentive to invest in pecans. Although demand has risen quite a bit in recent years with consumers discovering nuts in general as a healthy food and new products emerging, marketing is essential for pecans, especially in regions such as the EU, where consumers do not necessarily miss them if they are not available in supermarkets.
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