Hurricane Irma’s destruction is putting the iconic Thanksgiving pecan pie at risk. The storm ripped through pecan orchards in Georgia, the number one grower of pecans in the nation, just weeks before harvest.
The University of Georgia estimated that 30 percent of production may have been lost after high winds sent pods flying off branches and blew down trees.
Bloomberg News reports that while pecans are a niche crop, the nuts are often associated with holiday desserts, and they’re among Georgia’s top agricultural commodities.
Prices were already at the highest on record, averaging $2.59 a pound in the marketing year that ended in August 2016. Supply damage from Irma could mean even pricier pies for Thanksgiving.
Pecan trees can produce for decades and some in the state are 100 years old, but any new trees planted won’t bear a crop for about five to seven years.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.