Commodity Teams

Georgia is the nation's leading pecan-producing state — and University of Georgia researchers intend to keep it that way. Working with an international team of experts, four faculty from the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have received a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture award for the second phase of a study to adapt one of Georgia’s top commodities, the pecan.

Georgia pecan growers are celebrating a huge win as India reduced tariffs on imported pecans by 70% last week following a decades-long effort to open that market for the popular tree nut. Trade missions over the years have sought out viable market opportunities for pecans, which are native to the southeastern U.S. and northern Mexico, but with a historic 100% customs tax on pecans, the market was essentially closed to the global pecan industry — until now.

Economists at the University of Georgia say to brace yourselves for an economic slowdown in the upcoming months. The best consumers can do is deploy cost-saving strategies at the grocery store and build a buffer through increased savings when possible.