Pecan harvest season poses a nutty problem

VALDOSTA, Ga.— Georgia leads the nation in pecan production. And at 90 cents a pound they are a good cash crop.



So where money can be made, crime tends to follow. But pecan pilfering? Yep, nothing is sacred in this nutty world anymore.



It’s not uncommon, said Ashley Paulk, for people to park their car beside a pecan grove, run into the field and grab a couple bucketfuls of pecans. At harvest time, some pecan pilferers raid pecan groves at night during a full moon, he said.



Paulk is chairman of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners and owns Shiloh Farms, one of the largest pecan growers in the state.



Folks who pick up pecans to sell them in town typically find their way to either Guess Pecans or South Georgia Pecan Company, where they can be exchanged for cash.



The line of those who come to sell frequently stretches out the door at both businesses. People carry their pecans in a variety of ways: aluminum wash tubs, plastic buckets, garbage bags, grocery bags, etc.



Justin Myers, plant manager at South Georgia Pecan Company, said they have no method of tracking where the sellers get their pecans. Regarding in-shell purchasing, it’s not an issue they have any need to address, he said. They have, nevertheless, taken some steps to increase traceability.



“We decided to set a limit. Any individual who brought in 100 pounds, we ask for their name and driver’s license number, and we document how much they brought in and what type of pecans it was, but we can’t validate where they acquired those nuts from. We just try to show what’s coming through our door in quantity.”



Asked if he knew of people gathering pecans without permission and selling them, he said, “I spoke with a lady in her 70s a couple days ago. She said she woke up one morning and the sun was just rising, and she went out her front door to go get her paper and there were three people in her yard picking up pecans, and she said ‘What the heck are y’all doing, this is my property,’ and of course they ran.”



Jeffrey Griffin is one of those who showed up Wednesday at South Georgia Pecan Company to sell his pecans. He said he had permission from a property owner on Green Street to pick up the nuts in her yard to sell.



Does the pecan pilfering hurt the business of legitimate growers?



Absolutely, Myers said.



“A lot of your small farmers lose a lot of money. They rely on all of their crop to pay their land taxes, not to mention the next year’s expenses to be incurred through fertilization and irrigation. That’s a very big expense,” he said.



However, with the demand for the nuts and the easy access to trees, it’s doubtful that people who poach pecans will be deterred. And most of those with pecans to sell are getting the nuts from trees in their own yard. According to one seller, “It’s a great way to make some extra money for the holidays.”



Information for this story was provided by the Valdosta, Ga., Daily Times.