Food - Drink
Which US State Produces The Most Pecans?
By KATHERINE BECK
Often associated with Southern cuisine, pecans are native to Alabama, Texas, Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa. Pecan comes from the Algonquin word for the nut, "pacane," meaning "nuts requiring a stone to crack,” and they remain an essential crop in the U.S. today, with one state boasting incredible numbers in its pecan production.
Pecan production was up by 18% in 2020 from 2019, for a total of 302 million pounds produced and a total value of $399 million. In statistics from that same year, Georgia was revealed to be the top grower of pecans; the state produced 142 million pounds of the nuts, with New Mexico coming in second with 77 million pounds.
Other states such as Alabama and Arkansas have declared the pecan as the state's official health nut, while the pecan tree is the state tree for Texas. Pecan nuts from the U.S. are also exported to foreign countries, including China, South Korea, Western Europe, and the United Arab Emirates.