Southern United States Pecan Market

PHOENIX - Jan 5/10 - SNS -- Pecan market conditions and prices were updated for Arizona, New Mexico And West Texas in this report from the USDA.

Provided by:  Fruit and Vegetable Market News,
              Federal-State Market News Service, USDA.

Phone: (602) 514-7210    Fax: (602) 514-7215

IX FV140
WESTERN REGION PECAN REPORT.

PECAN PRICES PAID TO GROWERS

ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS (via Phoenix, Arizona)

   Deliveries by growers to buying points were fairly slow, due to the holiday
shortened work schedule, and fields remaining wet. Production and delivery
numbers are expected to increase this next week due to more clement weather
conditions, a return to normal work schedules, and a forecast of no
precipitation for the following week. Demand was fairly light. Prices paid to
growers were about steady. Harvesting continues in all areas, and is now
approximately 60% complete.

Weather forecast calls for low temperatures in the mid to upper 20s and high
temperatures in the mid to upper 50s to lower 60s in the next week with no
chance of precipitation forecast until Wednesday, January 13, 2010.

This past week, temperatures ranged from lows in the mid to upper 20s, to
highs in the low to mid 50s. There was negligible precipitation in the area
this past week.

Harvested quality has been generally good with most sample lots of Western
Schley ranging from 52-56% on large lots.

Buying interest by end users has been moderate. Some growers are delaying
making marketing decisions, opting to concentrate on harvesting and
accumulating supplies in order to dry and grade nuts for later sale. Other
growers, accounting for approximately 80-85% of this years crop, have
established agreements with users with arrangements made to market all or part
of their crop with provisions made for price, time of delivery, shelling and
storage and method of payment. Export interest has been good, with reported
prices of exports to China at $3.40-$3.50 per point in lots of excess of
20,000 pounds.

Prices paid to growers from noon Tuesday, December 29, 2009 to noon Tuesday,
January 05, 2010 at delivery point or F.O.B. the orchard.

In lots in excess of 20,000 pounds, Improved varieties mostly Western Schley
52-56% meat yield or better mostly 55% meat yield $3.10-3.40 per point, mostly
3.25 per point, occasional higher and lower.

Lots of less than 1000 pounds Improved varieties mostly Western Schley
deliveries and purchases insufficient to establish a market.

NEXT REPORT WILL BE ISSUED THURSDAY, JANUARY 07, 2010

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STAT News Service