Pecan grower meeting, farm tour to focus on marketing specialty crop
April 20, 2026
By Tracy Courage
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Pecan grower meeting, farm tour is May 2 at White County Extension Office in Searcy
- Topics: Nutrient management, marketing needs, Tri-County Pecan Program update
- $30 fee for Arkansas Pecan Growers Association members, $50 for non-members
(576 words)
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SEARCY, Ark. — Facing low prices, pecan growers are looking for ways to add value to their harvest and market their crop more effectively.
“Currently, wholesale prices are low, and even large commercial growers are beginning to add some retail sales and value-added products to diversify their revenue stream,” said Jackie Lee, pecan specialist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
This year’s annual pecan growers farm tour, hosted by the Division of Agriculture and the Arkansas Pecan Growers Association, will bring pecan growers together to learn about current and future marketing efforts. They will also hear updates on the Tri-County Pecan Program, learn about nutrient management planning and visit a local pecan farm.
The meeting will be on May 2 from 8 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at the White County Extension Office, 2400 Landing Road in Searcy. A farm tour will follow from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Registration is $30 for members of the Arkansas Pecan Growers Association and $50 for non-members. To register, contact Lee at jalee@uada.edu on or before April 30. Lee can also provide information about joining the association.
“This meeting will serve not only as an educational meeting but also a time to strategically plan how the Arkansas Pecan Growers Association can better support pecan growers' efforts to produce and market their pecans,” Lee said. “We will also have a field tour of the Johnson Pecan Farm with plenty of time available to network with other pecan growers.”
Disease Challenges
Growing high-quality pecans can be difficult in Arkansas’ hot and humid climate.
“Humidity and heat create the perfect environment for pecan scab, which greatly decreases kernel quality,” Lee said. “With already low prices, there is no wiggle room for growers to accept lower prices given for poor quality pecans. High quality and value-added products are becoming increasingly important to survival in the Arkansas pecan industry.”
Many growers use their pecans to produce value-added products, such as candies, or they sell the nuts packaged and ready for purchase to customers who make their own goods, she said.
Support for growers
The Arkansas Pecan Growers Association recently received funding to develop promotional materials for pecan growers and a new association website. The funding came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program administered through the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
“Pecan acreage is increasing, and marketing tends to be direct by growers,” Lee said.
Project partners will be at the field day to gather information and discuss the development of marketing materials that will support pecan growers’ goals.
The association also plans to develop a strategic plan to better support growers in hopes that other avenues of selling pecans for a premium price may be developed, Lee said.
Farm Tour Schedule
8:30-9 a.m. — Registration
9-9:30 a.m. — Welcome and marketing grant overview, John Bruhl, Arkansas Pecan Growers Association president
9:30-10:30 a.m. — Determining marketing needs of pecan growers, Communications Group
10:30-10:45 a.m. — Break
10:45-11:30 a.m. — How to put together a nutrient management plan, Jackie Lee
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. — Update on Tri-County Pecan Program
12:15-1 p.m. — Lunch and business meeting
1-1:15 p.m. — American Pecan Council update
1:15-1:30 p.m. — Travel to Johnson Pecan Farm
1:30-3:30 p.m. — Farm tour
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Tracy Courage
Director of Communications-Extension
U of A System Division of Agriculture
501-658-2044