Georgia continues to lead the country in pecan production, contributing to the U.S.’s leading position in the global market. The United States makes up 80 percent of the global pecan industry; 28 percent of U.S. pecans are exported to the world market. Several members of Georgia’s delegation want to ensure Georgia’s impact on the market continues.
Recently, Rep. Rick Allen, R-GA, led a bipartisan group of his Georgia colleagues sending a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins seeking a swift solution in expanding access to India’s market for U.S. pecan producers.
Joining Allen in sending the letter are Representatives Sanford Bishop, D-GA, Buddy Carter R-GA, Lucy McBath, D-GA, Austin Scott, R-GA, Rich McCormick, R-GA, and David Scott D-GA, as well as Georgia’s Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
The letter states, “As you may know, India is a significant foreign market for U.S. pecans. In 2022, the United States exported more than $1.3 million of pecans to India, and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service projects that pecan exports to India could now reach up to $5 million annually. This is a result of successful efforts in advocating for India to cut its tariff on U.S. pecan exports by 70 percent, which opened a market of more than one billion consumers to premium U.S.-grown pecans.”
In the letter members of the Georgia delegation go on to say, “While U.S. pecan exporters are now successfully exporting shelled pecans to India, the product purchasers in India have requested the U.S. to export in-shell pecans, which enables the pecans to travel in a more shelf-stable state and allows buyers to finish processing upon arrival in India. However, shipments of U.S. in-shell pecans cannot be completed due to the lack of appropriate plant quarantine code (PQ code) for import into India.
The letter continues with: “In 2024, the U.S. pecan industry submitted documents to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to begin the process of obtaining a PQ code, and we write to request assistance from USDA in expediting the process…”
In conclusion, the letter once again makes reference to Georgia, stating, “Completion of India’s import requirements is essential to the success of the pecan industry in Georgia and across the nation. Thank you for your attention to this matter and we welcome opportunities to assist in determining a solution for the pecan industry as quickly as possible.”
